Prochaska's Six Stage Model of Behaviour Change

Question 1

Outline Prochaska’s Six stage model of behaviour change (6 marks)

Answer 1

Prochaska’s six stage model is a cyclic model that takes a positive approach to addiction where it explains where a person is in terms of behaviour change and which interventions to use. There are six stages: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance and termination. Relapse is not failure, it is just a part of the process. (3 MARKS)

(6 MARKS - NAME, EXPLAIN, INTERVENTIONS 2 OR 3 STAGES)

1. Pre-contemplation – person is not thinking about changing their behaviour may be due to denial and intervention helps them consider the need to change
2. Contemplation – Individual is thinking about changing their behaviour and are aware of the need to change so intervention focuses on understanding the pros of overcoming the addiction
3. Preparation – The first action to changing addictive behaviour occurs so intervention is based on creating a plan to help overcome addiction
4. Action – The person puts the plan into action so intervention focuses on developing coping strategies to avoid relapse
5. Maintenance – When the behaviour has been maintained for 6 months. The stage can be lengthy and need to focus on long term goals so intervention ensure that coping strategies are applied in the real world and ensure they know the support available
6. Termination – newly developed behaviours of stopping addiction are automatic and they no longer turn to addictive behaviours to cope as they are confident they can resist it in the future - therefore behaviour change has occurred so no intervention is required.

Question 2

Discuss Prochaska’s six stage model of behaviour change (3 X AO3)

Answer 2

Prochaska’s six stage model of behaviour change has been criticised as some argue that the stages of change are not well differentiated. Pa Kraft et al argue that the six stages can be reduced to just two useful stages, pre contemplation plus the others grouped together, as the person is thinking about change in all of these later stages but not in the first. This has important implications as each stage in Prochaska’s model is matched with a specific intervention. Therefore, this could limit Prochaskas usefulness as a model of behaviour of change and for treatment recommendations

However, Prochaska’s six stage model of behaviour change can be praised because it takes a positive view of relapse. The six stage model doesn’t view lapse as a failure but as an inevitable part of the dynamic, un-linear process of behaviour change. Although, relapse is more than a ‘slip’ the model takes it seriously and doesn’t underestimate its potential to knock an addict off the course of recovery. This means the six stage model of behaviour change is more acceptable as a result of its positive outlook on relapse.

Finally, much of the research in to Prochaska’s six stage model is based on self report methods such as questionnaires and interviews which could lead to social desirability bias. Prochaska based this model on nicotine addicts and the changes in their thinking when giving up, they could have lied about how logical their thought processes were when giving up to present themselves in the possible light. Therefore, this reduces the internal validity of the research into Prochaska’s six stage model of behaviour change.