Which behavior change theory should I use?
The choices can seem overwhelming. Each theory tells us a piece of the behavior change story but not all of it.
Therefore, to get the clearest picture, we must implement the use of both stage-based theories and decision-based theories. Each one answers part of our questions about behavior change but not all. Therefore, together they work best.
In today’s post, we will look at a behavior change framework combining several behavior change theories, continuing our series covering the concepts from Chapter 12 in Communicating Nutrition: The Authoritative Guide.
A Polytheoretical Framework combines behavior change theories
Meet the Polytheoretical Framework, which merges the stage-based precaution-adoption model with key constructs of the most commonly used decision-based theories. See the diagram below along with the key explaining the connections between constructs.
The factors that influence behavior change exert their influence at particular stages of behavior change. Knowing which factors to target based on the audience’s stage helps communicators effectively promote behavior change.
Internal resources exert the greatest influence during the pre-intention stage. When an audience is in this stage, concentrate on building their knowledge, abilities, skills, and a positive mindset.
As an audience moves through the pre-intention stage with growing awareness and engagement, communicators can promote positive outcome expectations and attitudes, and relate the desired behaviors to the audience’s social norms.
Moving an audience to intention and finally to action requires going beyond building their knowledge and attitudes to building their personal agency regarding the behavior including perceived control, self-efficacy, and more.
How can we use this framework to make a positive impact on behavior?
Effective use of the Polytheoretical Framework begins with assessing an audience for their stage of behavior change and then assessing the pertinent factors that influence behavior at that stage.
With this information, communicators can target messages to promote positive changes in these influencing factors such as increasing knowledge, supporting positive attitudes and mindset, helping form positive and realistic outcome expectations, and building the audience’s personal agency.
Let’s look at two examples of women deciding how to feed their infant at birth.
The first woman is in the pre-intention stage, doesn’t think she knows anyone who successfully breastfed their baby, and is worried she won’t be able to do it.
The second woman is in the intention stage, has a sister and several friends encouraging her to breastfeed based on their positive experiences, and has already signed up for the classes at the hospital.
Clearly, these two women need different types of messages and support.
The first woman needs basic information about the benefits and mechanics of breastfeeding, role models to share positive experiences with breastfeeding, and assurance that with knowledge and support she can be successful if she chooses to breastfeed. The goal will be to move her to the intention stage. At this stage, new factors will need to be addressed to further build her self-efficacy.
The second woman needs affirmation of her decision, answers to questions, and reinforcement of her current knowledge along with any needed corrections of myths or misinformation she may have heard.
Your turn to put behavior change models to work…
Using these posts as a roadmap:
use the polytheoretical framework to put it all together.
“Face this world. Learn its ways, watch it, be careful of too hasty guesses at its meaning. In the end you will find clues to it all.” ~ H.G. Wells
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