Definition
The Stages-of-Change Model was developed by James Prochaska and Carlo DiClemente as a framework to describe the five phases through which one progresses during health-related behavior change (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1983). It is part of their broader Transtheoretical Model, which not only assesses an individual’s readiness to act to eliminate a problem behavior but also includes strategies and processes of change to guide the individual through the stages. The Stages-of-Change Model originated in research related to psychotherapy and the cessation of addictive behaviors, such as smoking, alcohol and substance abuse, and issues related to weight management (Buxton, Wyse, & Mercer, 1996). Although Prochaska and DiClemente initially hypothesized that individuals progress linearly through a series of discrete stages of change, researchers now believe that a cyclical or “spiral” pattern more accurately represents how most people change unhealthy behavior over time. Since its...
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References and Readings
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Shaffer, J.A. (2013). Stages-of-Change Model. In: Gellman, M.D., Turner, J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1005-9_1180
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