Prochaska And Diclemente’s Transtheoretical Model Of Change
Change is an individual and personal process, and No one can change another person if they do not want to change That is why coaching has the complex mission of empowering people to be aware of their own ability to achieve their goals and achieve positive and lasting changes in their lives.
For several decades, a theoretical model of change has been applied in many areas (addictions, unhealthy lifestyle changes, etc.) to help understand why individuals often fail despite wanting to implement a change in their lives. his life.
The process of personal change seen from Psychology
There has been little work in the literature in relation to specific change in the field of coaching, but a psychotherapeutic theory has proven to be very effective in this aspect, since it proposes not only a description of the phases or stages of change, but also provides a favorable framework for correct intervention. This theory was proposed by James Prochaska (pictured) and Carlo Diclemente and receives the name of Transtheoretical Model of Change
Said model explains the phases that a person needs to overcome in the process of changing problematic behavior (or behavior that is intended to be changed) to one that is not, considering motivation as an important factor in this change, and assigning the subject an active role, since he is conceived as the main actor in his behavior change.
The model also takes into account other variables apart from motivation, which in the opinion of the authors influence behavioral change. These elements are: the stages of change, the change process, the decisional balance (pros and cons) and self-confidence (or self-efficacy).
Since any personal change requires commitment, time, energy, and clear and realistic strategies, it is important to recognize that this process may involve difficulties. This theory warns that it is likely to suffer relapses and return to previous stages Therefore, it provides hope for individuals, since accepting failures as normal positively affects the perception of self-confidence (self-efficacy).
Coaches should make clients aware of this aspect of the theory, as it is a useful tool to empower clients in the face of change.
The stages of Prochaska and Diclemente’s change model
This model gives us the opportunity to understand that human development is not linear but rather circular and that human beings can go through various phases, and even stagnate and go back on the path of change.
Below are the different stages of the Prochaska and Diclemente model, and for a better understanding, we are going to use as an example an individual who wants to start doing physical exercise to improve his health and leave behind the sedentary life to which he was accustomed:
In the maintenance phase, the person can move on to the “termination” phase in which the new habit is already solid and it is difficult to abandon it, since it is part of their life; or you can relapse (although you can relapse at any stage), but never returning to the “precontemplation” stage.
Relapses
In case of relapse, the person can:
Get hooked on change again, recognize your progress, learn from the experience and try not to make the same mistake again.
Seeing relapse as a failure and eternally stagnating without changing.
Therefore, in the event of a relapse, the coach must make the client see that he is not a failure and must encourage him to continue with the change.
Phases and levels of change
This dimension of Prochaska and Diclemente’s Transtheoretical Model explains to us what changes are needed to abandon a problematic behavior and tells us the content of this change All behavior occurs in a context and is conditioned by certain environmental factors.
The different conditions are organized into five interrelated levels, on which the coach intervenes following a hierarchical order, from the most superficial to the deepest. Being related, a change in one level can cause a change in another and it is also possible that an intervention at all levels is not necessary, since not all levels have to affect the behavior that is intended to be changed.
The five levels of change are:
Symptom/situational (pattern of harmful habits, symptoms, etc.).
Normally the intervention begins at the most superficial level, and As you progress, it is possible to intervene on deeper levels The reasons why intervention is usually initiated in the most superficial situation are:
Change tends to happen more easily at this more manifest and observable level.
This level generally represents the main reason for attending the coaching session.
Since the level is the most conscious and current, the degree of interference necessary for evaluation and intervention is lower.
Since these levels are not independent, a change in one of them probably causes changes in others.
Decisional balance
He decisional balance It is the relative weight between the pros and cons of changing behavior, which each individual assigns in their awareness process. The model predicts that for individuals in the precontemplation stage, the cons of change will be more evident than the pros and that this decisional balance will gradually reverse as individuals move through the rest of the stages.
For individuals in the action and maintenance stages, The pros of the change will be more important than the cons
Another key: Self-efficacy
The Self-efficacy They are the judgments and beliefs that a person has about his or her abilities to successfully execute a given task and, therefore, direct the course of his or her action. It helps to face different difficult situations, without having relapses. Therefore, it is positive to face the various problematic situations that may arise during the change process and it is positive to maintain the desired behavior.
The model predicts that Self-efficacy will increase as individuals move through the stages of change
If you want to know more about the concept of self-efficacy, we invite you to read the following post:
“Albert Bandura’s Self-Efficacy: Do you believe in yourself?”
Change strategies
Within the Transtheoretical Model of Change, stages are useful to help place the client at a certain point However, little would be achieved by knowing this and not knowing the strategies that could be implemented to allow the subject to advance.
Change processes are the activities that cause the individual to move towards a new stage, but it must be mentioned that they are not restricted to coaching. In fact, this theory comes from psychotherapy, since this model is the result of a comparative analysis of theories that led psychological therapy and behavioral change in the 1980s.
As a result of the work, Prochaska identified 10 processes that occur in subjects that are changing their behavior such as the “raising of consciousness” from the Freudian tradition, the “contingency management” of Skinner’s behaviorism, and the establishment of “helping relationships” from the humanist Carl Rogers.
Processes linked to change
The processes shown below characterize people in stages of change, and each works best at a given stage:
Increased awareness : has to do with individual efforts in searching for information and its corresponding understanding in relation to a certain problem.
Reassessment of the environment : it is an evaluation by the subject of the behavior to be changed and its effect on interpersonal behavior and on the people close to him. Recognition of the benefits for these relationships derived from behavior modification.
Dramatic relief : Experimentation and expression of emotional relationships caused by the observation and/or warning of the negative aspects associated with modifying behavior.
Self appraisal : Affective and cognitive assessment of the impact of the behavior to be changed on the individual’s values and self-concept. Recognition of the benefits that behavior change represents for your life.
social liberation : awareness, availability and acceptance by the subject of alternatives.
Counterconditioning : it is the substitution of alternative behaviors to the behavior to be changed.
helping relationships : is the use of social support to facilitate change.
Administration of reinforcements : changes the structure that supports the problem.
Self-liberation : individual’s commitment to change behavior, including the idea that one owns one’s change
Stimulus control : It is the control of situations and the avoidance of situations that initiate unwanted behavior.
Strategies applied to coaching
The intervention that the person needs to have an effective change depends on the stage in which they are. At each stage there are specific interventions and techniques that have a greater impact in helping the person move to the next stages of behavior change. Below are some strategies that the coach can use in each phase:
Precontemplation
When the client is not aware of the negative effects of the change, it is necessary to provide appropriate information about the benefits of the change, that is, why making the change can be beneficial for the person. It is important that the information be provided in a non-authoritarian manner.
Help visualize the arguments for and against change.
Promote reflection on the different options for change and their positive effect.
Encourage consideration of the first steps to begin making the change, in a rational and realistic manner.
Preparation
Jointly plan the change carefully, rather than making visceral decisions.
Fragment the action plan into achievable objectives.
Employ a contract of commitment to change.
Help think about ways to continue with the action plan.
Action
Follow the plan, monitor progress.
Reward and congratulate for successes achieved (even the smallest ones).
Remind yourself of the benefits that will occur if the goals are achieved.
Help identify benefits when they happen.
Help the client maintain an ideal state of motivation.
Help them learn from things that don’t go as expected.
Maintenance
Maintain and review plans until you are absolutely sure they are no longer needed.
In case of relapse, try not to return to the starting point. Instead, it helps recognize progress and encourages learning from failures so that they do not occur again.
Help reflect on whether it is possible to help others make positive changes based on the experience of change.
In conclusion
From this perspective, Behavioral change is explained based on its stages (when), processes (how) and levels (what) Attention is also paid to self-efficacy and motivation, understanding that the latter varies depending on the stage in which the person is, and understanding that this is mediated by multiple aspects of the subject (the desire to avoid failure or maintain control of their life), which mean that motivation must be approached from a global point of view, understanding it as a process.
In coaching, This intervention model can be useful, as it provides knowledge about the stage in which the coachee is and provides information about the change processes appropriate for each stage, on the level or levels affected. Therefore, it produces a progressive change in the person who seeks to change, first addressing the most superficial aspects, to progressively address the deeper aspects.
To know what stage the individual is in, there are different questionnaires that provide this information, but the coach can use verbal questions for the same purpose.
A theory that provides the coach with tools
Finally, in this theory there are also some aspects that are of great importance for the coach:
The coach should not treat all people as if they were in the action stage.
People who are in the action phase are more likely to achieve better and faster results than those who are in contemplation or preparation.
The coach must facilitate the step from introspection and action.
The coach must anticipate relapses, and make the client understand that they are part of the change.
The coach must encourage self-regulation of action plans by the coachee.
