title: Strong and weak principles for progressing from precontemplation to action on the basis of twelve problem behaviors.
abstract: Two principles for progressing from the precontemplation stage of change to the action stage were discovered. The strong principle states that progression from precontemplation to action is a function of approximately a 1 standard deviation increase in the pros of a health behavior change. The weak principle states that progression from precontemplation to action is a function of approximately a 1/2 standard deviation decrease in the cons of a health behavior change. In Study 1, these principles were derived from cross-sectional data on 12 problem behaviors relating the pros and cons of changing to the stages of change. In Study 2, these principles were validated on cross-sectional data from an independent sample of 1,466 smokers. Discussion focuses on the implications of these principles for individual psychology and public health policy.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Prevention Research Consortium, University of Rhode Island, Kingston 02881-0808.
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Prochaska
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D003657:Decision Making; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012907:Smoking; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires