| Processes
of Change
Processes of change is a major dimension of the
Transtheoretical model that enables us to understand how shifts in behavior occur.
Change processes are covert and overt activities and experiences that individuals engage
in when they attempt to modify problem behaviors. Each process is a broad category
encompassing multiple techniques, methods, and interventions traditionally associated with
disparate theoretical orientations. Numerous studies have shown that successful
self-changers employ different processes at each particular stage of change. The ten
processes of change are consciousness raising, counterconditioning, dramatic
relief, environmental reevaluation, helping relationships, reinforcement
management, self-liberation, self-reevaluation, social liberation,
and stimulus control. The processes of change are defined
in the table below.
|
Processes of Change |
Definition / Interventions |
|
Consciousness Raising |
Efforts by the individual to seek new information and to gain
understanding and feed-back about the problem behavior / observations, confrontations,
interpretations, bibliotherapy. |
|
Counterconditioning |
Substitution of alternatives for the problem behavior / relaxation,
desensitization, assertion, positive self-statements. |
|
Dramatic Relief |
Experiencing and expressing feelings about the problem behavior and
potential solutions / psychodrama, grieving losses, role playing. |
|
Environmental Reevaluation |
Consideration and assessment of how the problem behavior affects the
physical and social environment / empathy training, documentaries. |
|
Helping Relationships |
Trusting, accepting, and utilizing the support of caring others during
attempts to change the problem behavior. |
|
Reinforcement Management |
Rewarding oneself or being rewarded by others for making changes /
contingency contracts, overt and covert reinforcement, self-reward. |
|
Self-Liberation |
Choice and commitment to change the problem behavior, including belief in
the ability to change / decision-making therapy, New Year's resolutions, logotherapy
techniques, commitment enhancing techniques. |
|
Self-Reevaluation |
Emotional and cognitive reappraisal of values by the individual with
respect to the problem behavior / value clarification, imagery, corrective emotional
experience. |
|
Social Liberation |
Awareness, availability, and acceptance by the individual of alternative,
problem-free lifestyles in society / empowering, policy interventions. |
|
Stimulus Control |
Control of situations and other causes which trigger the problem behavior
/ adding stimuli that encourage alternative behaviors, restructuring the environment,
avoiding high risk cues, fading techniques. |
|
