TTM & Self control

What are the six stages of change?

1. Precontemplation

2. Contemplation

3. Preparation

4. Action

5. Maintenance

6. Termination

What is the Transtheoretical model?

Assumption that people apply change processes across common set of behaviors.

10 processes of change

3 principles of change

What are the 3 principles of change?

1. Decisional balance: weighing pros and cons

2. Self-efficacy: confidence to cope in high- risk situations w/o relapse

3. Temptation

Stage 1: Pre-contemplation

No intention to take action in the near future

what to do when faced with a precontemplator?

do not push, nag, or enable

Stage 2: Contemplation:

No intention to change in the near future (~6 months). Considering the pros and cons of modifying behavior.

What are contemplation traps?

The search for absolute certainty, waiting for the magic moment

Stage 3: Preparation

Intention to take action soon (~1 month). May have attempted to modify behavior in the past year and has a plan of action.

Stage 4: Action

Recent specific overt modifications to change behavior (~6 months)

Stage 5: Maintenance:

Specific sustained modifications in lifestyle, working to prevent relapse.

Stage 6: Termination

Zero temptation and 100% self-efficacy.

What are the processes of change?

Covert and overt activities used to progress through stages

Consciousness Raising

Increasing awareness about the causes, consequences, and cures for a problem behavior, for example, through nutrition education.

Dramatic Relief Definition:

Increasing negative or positive emotions, such as fear or inspiration, to motivate taking appropriate action, for example, through personal testimonials.

Self-Reevaluation

Cognitive and affective reassessment of one's self-image with or without an unhealthy behavior, for example, through values clarification.

Environmental Reevaluation

Cognitive and affective assessment of how the presence or absence of a behavior affects one's social environment, such as the impact of one's smoking on others

Self-Liberation Definition

Belief that one can change and the commitment or re-commitment to act on that belief, for example, through New Year's resolutions.

Helping Relationships Definition:

Caring, trust, openness, and acceptance, as well as support from others for healthy behavior change, for example, through a positive social network

Social Liberation

Increasing healthy social opportunities or alternatives, for example, providing easy access to walking paths.

Counterconditioning

Requires learning healthier behaviors that can substitue for problem behaviors

Stimulus control

remove cues for unhealthy habits and add prompts for healthier alternatives

reinforcement management

rewarding oneself or being rewarded for making progress

Empirical evidence of TTM

Pros vs Cons

• more cons than pros in precontemplation

• as ppl progress to contemplationa and action:

  • pros increase

  • cons decrease

What are the strength and limitations of TTM?

• Strengths

  • applies and effective with a large number of health problems

  • can be used in a range of settings

• Limitations

  • Applicability to children is unclear

  • applied more often to risk reduction than risk prevention

Self-control/self regulation

1. willpower

2. goals/standards

3. monitoring 

Example of willpower

trying not to yawn or itch

example of goals/standards

Resisting the urge to check social media while at work to stay focused on your tasks

example of monitoring

tracking food intake in a journal to make healthier choices