XClose

Centre for Behaviour Change

Home
Menu

Tools and Techniques for Behaviour Change

CBC produce a number of open-access tools for researchers, practitioners and policy makers. These freely available tools are periodically updated as the science of behaviour change develops.

Someone typing on a laptop

Defining and selecting behaviours to change

The Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW)

From behavioural diagnosis to intervention design

Behaviour Change Wheel
The BCW was developed from 19 frameworks of behaviour change identified in a systematic literature review. It consists of three layers.
The hub identifies the sources of the behaviour that could prove fruitful targets for intervention. It uses the COM-B ('capability', 'opportunity', 'motivation' and 'behaviour') model. This model recognises that behaviour is part of an interacting system involving all these components. Interventions need to change one or more of them in such a way as to put the system into a new configuration and minimise the risk of it reverting.
Surrounding the hub is a layer of nine intervention functions to choose from based on the particular COM-B analysis one has undertaken.
The outer layer, the rim of the wheel, identifies seven policy categories that can support the delivery of these intervention functions.

The BCW provides a systematic way of identifying relevant intervention functions and policy categories based on what is understood about the target behaviour. General intervention functions can be translated into specific techniques for changing behaviour, through using the behaviour change technique taxonomy.

Find out more on the BCW website, where you can also order the book 'The Behaviour Change Wheel: A Guide to Designing Interventions'.

Citing the BCW

Permission is granted for any of the graphics, figures and tables to be reproduced provided that the source is properly acknowledged. The citation is "Michie S, Atkins L, West R. (2014) The Behaviour Change Wheel: A Guide to Designing Interventions. London: Silverback Publishing. www.behaviourchangewheel.com."

Translations

The Behaviour Change Wheel has been translated into Japanese and Dutch.

The COM-B model of behaviour

COM-B Model
Once a target behaviour has been identified, the next step in the BCW process is to understand the influences underlying its performance. COM-B is a simple model of behaviour which shows that people must have Capability, Opportunity and Motivation to perform a behaviour. A COM-B diagnosis involves identifying what needs to change in a person’s capability, opportunity, and/or motivation in order to perform the behaviour. This could be done through surveys, interviews, and focus groups. You can read more about COM-B in this paper.

Selecting behaviour change techniques

Work at the Centre for Behaviour Change has identified 93 Behaviour change techniques (BCTs). BCTs can be used on their own or in combination with each other. Most interventions to change behaviour contain more than one BCT.

We have developed the following tools for identifying relevant BCTs that would be suitable for including in a particular type of intervention:

Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy (BCTT)

Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy logo

The BCTT is a taxonomy of 93 distinct BCT’s with labels, definitions and examples. BCTT offers a reliable method for specifying, interpreting and implementing the active ingredients of interventions to change behaviours that can be used by researchers and practitioners communities. Its development was funded by the Medical Research Council. View the BCTT mapping table.

BCTTv1 App

A mobile app version of the taxonomy is freely available to allow more flexible use of the BCTT. As well as listing all 93 BCTs with their definitions and examples, the App also allows users to search for the most frequently used BCTs for each Intervention Type. Download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play

References

Michie, S, Richardson, M, Johnston, M, Abraham, C, Francis, J, Hardeman, W, Eccles, MP, Cane, J, Wood, CE.
The Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy (v1) of 93 Hierarchically Clustered Techniques: Building an International Consensus for the Reporting of Behavior Change Interventions. Annals of Behavioral Medicine. 2013;46(1):81-95

Michie S, Wood C, Johnston M, Abraham C, Francis J & Hardeman W.
(2015) Behaviour change techniques: the development and evaluation of a taxonomic method for reporting and describing behaviour change interventions, Health Technology Assessment,19 (99), 1-188, DOI: 10.3310/hta19990

Linking BCTs to their potential mechanisms of action

The Theory and Techniques Tool links Behaviour Change Techniques with their potential mechanisms of action using the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy v1.

Translations

The BCTTv1 has been translated into:


Evaluating an idea for an intervention

APEASE criteria

APEASE is a checklist of six criteria which can be used to evaluate the appropriateness of potential intervention types and policy options. It stands for:

  • Acceptability; how far an intervention or some part or aspect of it is or is likely to be liked or engaged with.
  • Practicability; how far an intervention or part of an intervention can or is likely to be able to be delivered as planned and at the scale intended.
  • Effectiveness; how far an intervention or part of an intervention achieves or is likely to achieve a desired outcome and provides value for money.
  • Affordability; how far an intervention or part of an intervention can or is likely to be implemented within an available budget.
  • Spillover effects; how far an intervention or part of an intervention has or is likely to have unintended positive or negative effects.
  • Equity; how far an intervention or part of an intervention affects or is likely to affect inequalities.