ABSTRACT
Behavior change techniques (BCTs) represent a fundamental element of interventions that attempt to modify behavior typically by targeting determinants of behavior such as motivation or self-efficacy and/or influencing how such determinants impact on behavior. In this chapter, as well as looking at how BCTs have been classified, or grouped, within taxonomies, we focus on BCTs or approaches that have been widely used in health behavior change interventions: self-monitoring; motivational interviewing; implementation intentions; incentives and rewards plus gamification. For each, we consider what they are, how they work and whether they are effective. In the subsequent section, we consider behavior change in schools, the workplace, sports clubs and in healthcare settings, examine why behavior change in these contexts is important and provide examples of effective behavior change in each. In separate features, we overview a wider range of BCTs, provide a question and answer section on behavior change and examine how we can form healthy habits and break unhealthy habits.
