A taxonomy of behavior change techniques used in interventions

Area of Science:

• Health Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Intervention Science

Background:

• Standardized definitions for behavior change techniques (BCTs) are lacking, hindering intervention replication and effectiveness analysis.
• Inconsistent reporting of intervention content complicates the identification of specific techniques driving outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a theory-linked taxonomy of generally applicable behavior change techniques (BCTs).
• To assess the feasibility of using standardized definitions for coding BCTs in published literature and intervention manuals.

Main Methods:

• Defined 26 behavior change techniques (BCTs).
• Two independent psychologists coded BCT presence/absence in 195 published intervention descriptions and intervention manuals using a coding manual.
• Assessed inter-rater reliability using kappa statistics and agreement rates.

Main Results:

• High inter-rater reliability was achieved (average kappa = 0.79, 93% agreement).
• Significant variability was observed in the range and types of BCTs used across interventions, even for similar targets.
• Agreement between BCTs identified in manuals and published articles was 74%, with frequent omissions in published reports.

Conclusions:

• Developing standardized definitions for BCTs is feasible.
• Significant variability and omissions in reporting intervention content pose challenges for research and practice.
• The developed taxonomy can improve the consistency and clarity of behavior change intervention research.