The application of Prochaska’s six-stage model of behaviour change.

The idea

Prochaska’s six-stage model explains how individuals overcome addiction through a cyclical process. The stages are pre-contemplation (no intention to change), contemplation (aware of the problem but uncommitted), preparation (intending to act soon), action (modifying behaviour), maintenance (preventing relapse), and termination (zero temptation). Application involves tailoring interventions to the client's current stage. For example, a smoker in pre-contemplation benefits from education about health risks, whereas someone in the action stage requires behavioural strategies like avoiding triggers. This stage-matched approach increases the effectiveness of addiction treatments by providing targeted, timely support.

What earns the marks

• Identify and define the six stages: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and termination.
• Explain that the model is dynamic and cyclical, acknowledging that individuals may move back and forth between stages due to relapse.
• Apply the model to a novel scenario by matching specific therapeutic interventions to the individual's current stage of change.
• Evaluate the model's usefulness, such as its practical application in creating stage-matched interventions that improve treatment outcomes.
• Discuss limitations, such as the arbitrary division between stages or the difficulty in accurately assessing which stage a client is currently in.

Common mistakes and how to put them right

• Confusing the contemplation and preparation stages.

  Put it right: Ensure contemplation is described as thinking about change without commitment, while preparation involves actively planning to take action within the next month.

• Treating the model as a strictly linear process.

  Put it right: Describe the model as cyclical, explicitly stating that individuals often relapse and return to earlier stages before achieving termination.

• Omitting the termination stage because it is rarely achieved.

  Put it right: Include termination as the final stage of the six-stage model, even if noting that many people remain in maintenance permanently.

Exam tips

• When given a stem, look for temporal clues (such as 'planning to quit next week' or 'has been clean for two months') to accurately identify the person's current stage.
• Use the concept of 'stage-matched interventions' to explain why a specific treatment might fail if applied at the wrong time.
• Remember to evaluate the model's cultural validity, noting that its focus on individual decision-making may not apply as effectively in collectivist cultures.