A comparison of free will, human agency, and the transtheoretical model

ABSTRACT

Western culture has historically drawn on many theories to understand and intervene in human behavior. This article will examine the contributions of three theoretical models: Augustine’s conceptualization of free will, Albert Bandura’s human agency model, and Prochaska, DiClemente, and Norcross’ transtheoretical model. Although these perspectives vastly differ in the year of origin and are understood through different fields, they are commonly linked in the role that the individual plays in human behavior. This article is a review of the implications of each theory for the integration of Christian faith and social work practice.

KEYWORDS:

• Human behavior
• free will
• agency
• transtheoretical

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.