The Transtheoretical Model

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The Transtheoretical Model (TTM) is a process-oriented stage model that examines a person’s readiness for behaviour change, which was developed through observing behaviours in smoke cessation and analysing various major therapy systems (Prochaska & Di Clemente, 1982). This model consists of four main components, namely: stages of change, process of change, decisional balance and self-efficacy (Prochaska & Di Clemente, 1982). Within the stages of change component, Prochaska and Di Clemente (1982) distinguished five stages: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance. Ideally, individuals are able to match their current behaviours to one of these stages, then work through them using strategies embedded in the process …show more content…

Its stage-specific structure, a strong aspect of the model, allowed customised interventions for individuals by matching their current demands to the most appropriate sets of strategies to bring about change in behaviours. However, the same stage-specific structure of TTM also appeared to be a weakness when its rigidity excluded many potential clients at baseline for participating in the various TTM-based interventions conducted. Furthermore, the structure restricted the treatment progression in a linear fashion, which possibly overlooking any minute achievements at the personal level. The second strength and weakness were in term of the model’s functionality. TTM was shown evidently versatile as it could be effectively applied to changing behaviours in populations bearing various characteristics without having regular clinical supervisions and could even be used in psychotherapies. Even so, the model’s functions were found to be limited as its optimal effectiveness is dependent on the individual’s degree of readiness for actions driven by positive expectations, which is largely absent in most people at baseline. This has sparked debates on whether TTM is able to maintain the long-term success of behaviour change and raised doubts on the functions of the ‘maintenance’ and ‘termination’ stages. This essay has given a balanced view on the strengths and weaknesses of TTM but most evidences targeted on only one construct (stages of change) of the model hence future research should focus on exploring the other three constructs in order to understand the full potential of this