The Transtheoretical Model (TTM)

How does the process of exercise change apply to the stages of changes as identified in the Transtheoretical Model (TTM)?

The Transtheoretical Model (TTM): proposes that individuals pass through five main stages as their behavior changes from ‘unhealthy’ to ‘healthy’. In addition to these five stages, the model incorporates 10 social and psychological processes of change which are thought to be important in the transition through the stages. The stages and processes of change are generally presented in pictorial form as a circle to illustrate the proposition that individuals can move backwards as well as forwards through the stages 2. Based on a review of previous studies, what effect did stage-based interventions have when considering

Nevertheless, stage-targeted activity promotion interventions are more likely to induce changes in motivation as well as short-term behavior changes. Therefore, more research must be conducted to study if interventions must go beyond health education, or incorporating environmental change strategies to improve opportunities for physical activity.

Commentary 2

Adams and White (Adams and White, 2004) offer five reasons why stage-based interventions to promote physical activity may not work. The problem of appropriately classifying individuals into stage as noted by Adams and White (Adams and White, 2004) may be part of a more general problem of the validity of the stages identified in the TTM.

Commentary 3 Adams and White appear reluctant to condemn the TTM because a physical activity intervention is very difficult to determine. Previous research suggests that TTM-based interventions can result in short-term increases in physical activity. Therefore, society should be focusing more on trying to extract what the TTM offers, rather than whether it really captures the essential features behind the decision to engage in and then maintain physical activity. Although it may be rather hit and miss when it comes to the latter, there is obviously something about it that works, at least for some people some of the

However, it also critically challenges the overly generalized nature of TTM in the context of the complexity of physical activity behavior. Adams and White proposals does not try to resolve these occurring issues. Their belief in a relatively conservative ‘realistic’ assessment of TTM along with subsequent suggestions from commentators (e.g. other stage-based models staging algorithms that are potentially better at stage classification) is clearly one way of progressing. Therefore, the author wants to stop stop side-stepping around the issue and attempt to operate a more expansive consideration of what the intervention could be used for. This examination of the various processes by which the interventions are delivered will achieve a consensus protagonists on the types of impacts we can realistically expect in of themselves from TTM-based