7. Memory: techniques of behaviour change Flashcards
What 3 things does someone need in order for them to adopt health behaviours?
- Capability - psychologically and physically
- Opportunity - socially (support) and physically
- Motivation - reflective (beliefs) and automatic (habits)
What is a behaviour changing technique?
A systematic strategy used in an attempt to change behaviour
What does the behaviour change taxonomy (BCT) enable?
- Enables you to decide which behaviour change technique is right for the patient
- Over 90 different techniques collated into 16 groups (BCT clusters)
- e.g. social support is broken down into practical, emotional and unspecified support
Which BCT is most effective for healthy eating, physical activity, stopping smoking and reducing alcohol?
Self-monitoring
How do we choose our BCT?
- Behavioural target specification
- Behavioural diagnosis
- Intervention strategy selection
- Implementation strategy selection
- Selection of specific BCTs
Use cardiac rehabilitation as an example to show what behavioural target specification involves
- NHS provides cardiac rehab to patients who have suffered from an atherosclerotic related cardiac event
- Try to recreate Mediterranean diet
- Think about capability and opportunity (patient can’t walk far to get healthy food, might not be able to afford expensive food, family environment doesn’t want to change)
- Think about motivation - patient might not understand role of food in reducing risk
Use cardiac rehabilitation as an example to show what behavioural diagnosis involves
- Who? - person undergoing cardiac rehab
- What? - trying to increase consumption of heart friendly foods
- When? - when patient has opportunity to buy food
- How often? - as often as possible
- Where? - depends on lifestyle
- Who with?
Use cardiac rehabilitation as an example to show what intervention strategy selection involves?
- Can look at the behaviour change wheel
- Identify techniques needed for them, to help them change
- ‘Education and persuasion’ have been shown to help with healthy eating
Use cardiac rehabilitation as an example to show what implementation strategy selection involves?
Groups of people in the same situation talking about eating on a budget or the importance of healthy eating
What does self-monitoring involve?
- Individual keeping a record of target behaviour e.g. with apps
- Additional information recorded can help identify barriers e.g. mood, weather
What does motivational interviewing involve?
• Person-centred counselling style • Clinician should: - be empathic - listen to the patient's point of view - use specific techniques • Can be helpful with a patient in pre-contemplation or contemplation, to move them into preparation
What are implementation intentions?
- Action plans
- Ask an individual to think about critical situations to act and appropriate responses within those situations
- IF => THEN
- e.g. IF it’s Friday morning at 9am, THEN i’ll go for a run
Are incentives effective?
- Mixed across reviews
- Some positive findings
- Can be effective in changing health and clinical behaviours e.g. raising awareness
- Unclear which rewards work best
What are the limitations of reinforcement programmes?
- Lack of generalisation
- Poor maintenance
- Impractical and expensive
Is it better to change multiple behaviours at one time?
- May lead to greater overall change
* However, the more you try to change, the less change there is
