Prochaska's six-stage model of behaviour change
Prochaska's model describes six stages a person moves through when giving up an addiction. People can move forward, stall, or relapse back to an earlier stage.
Real World
Someone who quit smoking for six months (maintenance stage) but then relapses after a stressful job loss may cycle back to the contemplation stage, illustrating Prochaska's point that change is not always linear.
Exam Focus
Name all six stages in order and note that relapse can occur at any point — examiners reward understanding of the cyclical, non-linear nature of the model.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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