What do you think about the “Stages of Change” part of the transtheoretical model (i.e., Prochaska & DiCliemente)?
The “Stages of Change” model is one component of the larger Transtheoretical Model of Change proposed by Prochaska, DiClemente, and Norcross. It was first introduced into the addiction field in the early 1980s, and has since become so popular that many treatment programs are using the model as a way of organizing treatment interventions. Although the model has great intuitive appeal, recent research has shown their are many problems with the model and that it should be abandoned. The problems include: 1) arbitrary dividing lines between stages, 2) model assumes people make coherent and stable plans involving change – which often does not happen, 3) research shows many people do not go through the stages as proposed, but skip over stages (i.e., go from precontemplation to action), 4) predictions based on the model are not overly accurate or flat wrong, and 5) it does not capture the dynamic complexity seen in behavior change. Despite the research and these reasons, clinicians continue t
