The Process of Change
Because health psychology is interested in the psychology behind health-related behaviors, it also concerns itself with how people can learn to change their behaviors. The transtheoretical model of behavior change assesses an individual’s readiness to act on a new healthier behavior, and provides strategies to guide the individual through each stage of the behavior-change process.
Created by Prochaska and DiClemente in the 1970s, the model proposes that change is a process rather than a discrete decision. People must build up the motivation to change and this motivation is dependent on a number of personal and environmental factors. According to the transtheoretical model, behavioral change is a five-step process, consisting of precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance.