title: Applying the behaviour change technique (BCT) taxonomy v1: a study of coder training.
abstract: Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy v1 (BCTTv1) has been used to detect active ingredients of interventions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of user training in improving reliable, valid and confident application of BCTTv1 to code BCTs in intervention descriptions. One hundred sixty-one trainees (109 in workshops and 52 in group tutorials) were trained to code frequent BCTs. The following measures were taken before and after training: (i) inter-coder agreement, (ii) trainee agreement with expert consensus, (iii) confidence ratings and (iv) coding competence. Coding was assessed for 12 BCTs (workshops) and for 17 BCTs (tutorials). Trainees completed a course evaluation. Methods improved agreement with expert consensus (p < .05) but not inter-coder agreement (p = .08, p = .57, respectively) and increased confidence for BCTs assessed (both p < .05). Methods were as effective as one another at improving coding competence (p = .55). Training was evaluated positively. The training improved agreement with expert consensus, confidence for BCTs assessed, coding competence but not inter-coder agreement. This varied according to BCT.
authors.affiliation: UCL Centre for Behaviour Change, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, UK.
authors.forename: Caroline E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Wood
authors.affiliation: Health Services and Population Research, Kings College London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Richardson
authors.affiliation: UCL Centre for Behaviour Change, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, UK ; Institute of Applied Health Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
authors.forename: Marie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.affiliation: University of Exeter Medical School, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, City University London, London, UK.
authors.forename: Jill
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Unit, Institute of Public Health, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hardeman
authors.affiliation: UCL Centre for Behaviour Change, Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, UK.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michie
keywords: Behaviour change techniques; Taxonomy; Training methods