I recently did some research on models of behavior change and wanted to share a little of what I learned. I hadn’t been exposed to these kinds of theories in my formal education before; behavior change doesn’t come up very often in math, economics or software engineering so I found the topic to be fascinating. I say that for a few reasons (a) it turns out that social scientists have a model for just about everything that humans do and (b) one of these models turned out to explain my own personal style for change almost to the letter! It should be obvious why this subject is relevant to a blog about wellness, once you identify a negative behavior (using, for example, a self assessment) the next logical step is to do something about it. That’s usually the hardest part right? Well, maybe you can relate to one or more of the models that I will describe now and internalize just enough to get over that hump. I hope so!

Models of Behavioral Change

If you google around, you’ll find dozens of models. I’m only going to briefly cover the ones that I read about in Health: The Basics. I’ve done some followup on these models via various papers available online and I’ve sprinkled in my own two cents but really to get anything out of any of these I think you need to do the same – go do some more reading about whichever one sounds like it might work for you.

Health Belief Model:

It’s funny how the logical part of the brain tends to think that “if someone knows better, they won’t engage in something that is clearly not good for them.” because that is so not true. Smokers know that they are at risk for cancer, its no secret that fast foods are not healthy yet both are still healthy industries (pun intended). Ask anyone and they’ll likely admit that exercise is a good thing regardless of whether they exercise or not. So why don’t people’s beliefs have a greater impact on their behaviors? The Health Belief Model was developed in the 50s by social psychologists Hochbaum, Rosenstock and Kegels. It attempts to explain when belief isn’t enough and proposes that at least three key elements need to be in place before action will follow:

1. The stronger the perception of how serious the problem is, the more likely the person is to act
2. The stronger the perception of at risk the person is, the more likely the person is to act
3. The more frequently the person is reminded of the need for change, the more likely the person is to act

No rocket science there! There are other factors as well including perceived benefits, perceived barriers, etc., but the bottom line is that we as humans will look for any reason not to do the things that we know we should do. If this is you, maybe read some more about the HBM and see if you can’t map your beliefs to the model, maybe it will help.

Social Cognitive Model:

I won’t say too much about this one, it basically states that our behavior (or ability to change) is the result of the constant interaction with other people, our environment, and our current behavior. I think that seems even more obvious than the HBM but there’s more to it if you care to check it out; here’s a pretty decent summary of SCM. For me the real takeaway from this for someone wanting to change is understanding how important our environment and social interactions are. Pretty hard for someone to get on the fitness bandwagon if the majority of their friends/family aren’t on board right??

Transtheoretical Model:

This is the one that I really related to – I think it makes total sense and without knowing that it was “a thing” I’ve used it many times in my life with great success. Here is an awesome paper on TM that I’d highly recommend if you’re more of a logical thinker looking for a process to follow. TM is also called the States of Change Model because it defines different stages, or states, that define a successful change:

1. Pre-contemplation: You have no intention of changing, maybe you know you need to maybe not.
2. Contemplation: You are thinking about it, maybe doing some reading on the topic at hand but have no plans to do anything just yet.
3. Preparation: You are aware there’s something that needs to change and you start to put a game plan in place.
4. Action: You execute according to plan.
5. Maintenance: You measure you success as you go and course correct as needed.

My summary of this model, which is quite a bit more expansive that what I’ve covered here, is that this is all about planning and execution of baby steps. You can’t wake up one day and be a different person, it just doesn’t work that way. If you spend a good deal of time in the first 3 stages and make sure that your action plan is based on SMART goals, your success will come. Before you know it, you won’t be taking conscious action anymore, you will have changed your behavior. Don’t underestimate the value of stage 2; in my experience the more time you spend in this mindset, the more successful you will be in planning and execution. In fact I’ve found that spending even weeks just “thinking” about what you want to change and why has tremendous value when it comes to follow through. Don’t just make a decision and sit down and write up a plan. Take the time needed to convince yourself mentally of what you want to do and most importantly why. Don’t rush it!