Table 2 Overview of behavior change techniques [25]
BCT category | Example and definition |
|---|---|
Goals and planning | Problem solving: analyze or prompt the person to analyze factors influencing the behavior and generate or select strategies that include overcoming barriers and/or increasing facilitators |
Feedback and monitoring | Feedback on behavior: monitor and provide information on evaluative feedback |
Social support | Social support (practical): advise on, arrange, or provide practical help for the performance of the behavior |
Shaping knowledge | Instruction on how to perform the behavior: advise or agree on how to perform the behavior |
Natural consequences | Information about health consequences: provide information (written, verbal, visual) about health consequences of performing the behavior |
Comparison of behavior | Information about others’ approval: provide information about what other people think about the behavior |
Associations | Prompts/cues: introduce or define environmental or social stimulus with the purpose of prompting or cueing the behavior. |
Repetition and substitution | Behavioral practice/rehearsal: prompt practice or rehearsal of the behavior one or more times in a context or at a time when the performance may not be necessary in order to increase habit and skill |
Comparison of outcomes | Pros and cons: advise the person to identify and compare reasons for wanting and not wanting to change the behavior |
Reward and threat | Social incentive: inform that a verbal or non-verbal reward will be delivered if and only if there has been effort and/or progress in performing the behavior |
Regulation | Conserving mental resources: advise on ways of minimizing demands on mental resources to facilitate behavior change |
Antecedents | Restructuring the social environment: change or advise to change the social environment in order to facilitate performance of the wanted behavior or create barriers to the unwanted behavior |
Identity | Framing/re-framing: suggest the deliberate adoption of a perspective or new perspective on behavior (e.g., its purpose) in order to change cognitions or emotions about performing the behavior |
Scheduled consequences | Situation-specific award: arrange for reward following the behavior on one situation but not in another |
Self-belief | Verbal persuasion about capability: tell the person that they can successfully perform the wanted behavior, arguing against self-doubts and asserting that they can and will succeed |
Covert learning | Vicarious consequences: prompt observations of the consequences (including rewards and punishments) for others when they perform the behavior |