The role of feedback in the process of health behavior change.
OBJECTIVE
To offer a taxonomy of types of feedback and describe potential mechanisms of action particularly in the area of addictive behaviors.


METHODS
Reviewed the literature to examine support for types-Generic, Targeted, and Personalized-and for mechanisms of feedback.


RESULTS
Although it is not clear how it works, feedback is thought to offer important information, to create a sense of caring and helping relationship, to reach more directly decisional considerations, to increase engagement in the materials, to increase motivation, or to provide social comparison and norms.


CONCLUSIONS
Avenues for future research in search of the most effective manner of using feedback to promote health behavior change are discussed.
DiClemente
C C
CC
Psychology Department, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore 21250, USA. diclemen@umbc.edu
Marinilli
A S
AS
Singh
M
M
Bellino
L E
LE
D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D002965:Classification; D005246:Feedback; D015438:Health Behavior; D006266:Health Education / Q000145:classification*; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012309:Risk-Taking