Table 1 Taxonomy with definitions of 26 behaviour change techniques
From: Medical undergraduates’ use of behaviour change talk: the example of facilitating weight management
Technique (Theoretical Framework) | Definition |
|---|---|
1. Provide information about behaviour health link. | General information about behavioural risk, e.g., susceptibility to poor health outcomes or mortality risk in relation to the behaviour. |
2. Provide information on consequences | Information about the benefits and costs of action or inaction, focusing on what will happen if the person does/ does not perform the behaviour. |
3 Provide information about others’ approval | Information about what others’ think about the person’s behaviour and whether others will approve or disapprove of any proposed behaviour change. |
4. Prompt intention formation | Encouraging the person to decide to act or set a general goal e.g., to make a behavioural resolution such as “I will take more exercise next week”. |
5. Prompt barrier identification | Identify barriers to performing the behaviour and plan ways of overcoming them. |
6. Provide general encouragement | Praising or rewarding the person for effort or performance without this being contingent on specified behaviours or standards of performance. |
7. Set graded tasks | Set easy tasks, and increase difficulty until target behaviour is performed. |
8. Provide instruction | Telling the person how to perform a behaviour and/ or preparatory behaviours. |
9. Model/ demonstrate the behaviour | An expert shows the person how to correctly perform a behaviour e.g., in class or on video. |
10. Prompt specific goal setting | Involves detailed planning of what the person will do including a definition of the behaviour specifying frequency, intensity or duration as well as specification of at least one context, i.e., where, when, how or with whom. |
11. Prompt review of behavioural goals | Review and/or reconsideration of previously set goals or intentions. |
12. Prompt self-monitoring of behaviour | The person is asked to keep a record of specified behaviour/s (e.g., in a diary). |
13. Provide feedback on performance | Providing data about recorded behaviour or evaluating performance in relation to a set standard or others’ performance. Person received feedback. |
14. Provide contingent rewards | Praise, encouragement or material rewards that are be explicitly linked to the achievement of specified behaviours. |
15. Teach to use prompts/ cues | Teach the person to identify environmental cues which can be used to remind them to perform a behaviour, including times of day, contexts or elements of contexts. |
16. Agree behavioural contract | Agreement (e.g., signing) of a contract specifying behaviour to be performed so that there is a written record of the person’s resolution witnessed by another. |
17. Prompt practice | Prompt the person to rehearse and repeat the behaviour or preparatory behaviours. |
18. Use follow up prompts | Contacting the person again after the main part of the intervention is complete. |
19. Provide opportunities for social comparison | Facilitate observation of non-expert others’ performance e.g., in a group class or using video or case study. |
20. Plan social support/ social change | Prompting consideration of how others’ could change their behaviour to offer the person help or (instrumental) social support, including “buddy” systems – and/or providing social support. |
21. Prompt identification as role model | Indicating how the person may be an example to others and influencing their behaviour or providing an opportunity for the person to set a good example. |
22. Prompt self talk | Encourage use self instruction and self encouragement (aloud or silently) to support action. |
23. Relapse prevention | Following initial change, help identify situations likely to result in re-adopting risk behaviours or failure to maintain new behaviours and help the person plan to avoid or manage these situations. |
24. Stress management | May involve a variety of specific techniques (e.g., progressive relaxation) which do not target the behaviour but seek to reduce anxiety and stress. |
25. Motivational interviewing | Prompting the person to provide self-motivating statements and evaluations of their own behaviour to minimize resistance to change. |
26. Time management | Helping the person make time for the behaviour (e.g., to fit it into a daily schedule). |