The following nine forces can impact the potential for behavior change.
Depending on the context, each might help or hinder the potential to change behavior. They are clustered into three categories – Capability, Opportunity, and Motivation – based on the COM-B model.
When the dominant forces at play involve Capability, the change at hand is more likely to be a technical change. Technical changes have issues that can be clearly identified, and solutions that can be clearly dictated and easily implemented by an individual or authority figure. On the other hand, when the dominant forces at play are related to Opportunity or Motivation, the change is likely to be more adaptive. Adaptive changes are harder to define (and may sometimes not even be acknowledged by all), and their solutions often require multiple changes by many actors across different parts of a system, including changes to the context in which the actors operate. The magnitude of the forces at play often determines how adaptive or technical a change is (e.g., a change might involve a small amount of motivation factors, but still be a largely technical change if it’s primarily driven by knowledge).
Capability
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Automatic cognitive processes
Functions of human memory, attention, decision-making, or behavior regulation, or their limitations, that are not controlled consciously.Related Cases -
Knowledge
Understanding the new behavior, including both its rationale and benefits, and the specific practical steps required to carry it out.Related Cases -
Skills
The individual capacity to effectively carry out the new behavior, including both physical and mental capacity.Related Cases
Opportunity
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Environmental context and resources
Organizational or physical constraints that make it easier or harder to change behavior.Related Cases -
Social influences
The behaviors and attitudes held by peers, how they are perceived by the actor, and broader perceptions about norms.Related Cases
Motivation
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Anticipated outcomes
Beliefs and assumptions about what will happen if the behavior is successfully executed, including (1) the effectiveness of the behavior on the desired outcome and (2) the personal benefits/incentives/disincentives the actor is likely to receive.Related Cases -
Emotions and self-identity
The emotional responses and drivers relating to the behavior, including the powerful forces tied to an individual’s sense of identity (and professional identity) and whether a behavior aligns or conflicts with that sense of self.Related Cases -
Motivation and goals
Internal motivation to change or maintain behavior, which is often influenced by goals an individual has adopted.Related Cases -
Self-efficacy
Confidence in ability to successfully carry out a behavior, often tied to past first-hand experiences succeeding or failing at related behaviors.Related Cases
Interventions can typically address several forces
These nine forces were adapted and simplified from the 15 forces of the Theoretical Domain Framework, and grouped according to the COM-B framework developed by Michie et all. The authors of COM-B, who helped develop the Theoretical Domain Framework, have indicated the mapping between the two systems. See Atkins et al., “A guide to using the Theoretical Domains Framework of behaviour change to investigate implementation problems,” Implementation Science 12:77 (2017).