Processes of Change

The 10 processes of change are "covert and overt activities that people use to progress through the stages".

To progress through the early stages, people apply cognitive, affective, and evaluative processes.

Research related to the transtheoretical model shows that interventions to change behavior are more effective if they are "stage-matched", that is, "matched to each individual's stage of change".

As people move toward Action and Maintenance, they rely more on commitments, counter conditioning, rewards, environmental controls, and support.

In general, for people to progress they need:

• A growing awareness that the advantages (the "pros") of changing outweigh the disadvantages (the "cons")—the transtheoretical model (TTM) calls this decisional balance.

• Confidence that they can make and maintain changes in situations that tempt them to return to their old, unhealthy behavior—the TTM calls this self-efficacy.

• Strategies that can help them make and maintain change—the TTM calls these processes of change.