Theories of behaviour and behaviour change across the social and behavioural sciences: a scoping review

Figures & data

Figure 1. Flow chart of study and theory selection.

Table 1. Theories identified, along with first author and date of the primary theory source and the number of articles reporting the theory.

	Theory	First author theorist (date)	Number of articles reporting theory that were included in the review
1	An Action Model of Consumption	Bagozzi (2000)	1^a
2	Affective Events Theory	Weiss (1996)	1^a
3	AIDS Risk Reduction Model	Catania (1990)	5^a
4	Attitude-Social Influence – Efficacy Model and its successor I – Change	DeVries (1998)	2
5	Behavioural Ecological Model of AIDS Prevention	Hovell (1994)	1^a
6	Change Theory	Lewin (1943)	0
7	Classical Conditioning	Pavlov (1927)	0
8	COMB Model	Michie (2011)	0
9	Consumption of Social Practices	Spaargaren (2000)	0
10	Containment Theory	Reckless (1961)	0
11	Control Theory	Carver (1981/1982)	1
12	Diffusion of Innovations	Rogers (1983)	4
13	Differential Association Theory	Sutherland (1947)	0
14	Ecological Model of Diabetes Prevention	Burnet (2002)	1^a
15	Extended Information Processing Model	Flay (1980)	1^a
16	Extended Parallel Process Model	Witte (1992)	2
17	Feedback Intervention Theory	Kluger (1996)	1
18	General Theory of Crime	Goffredson (1990)	0
19	General Theory of Deviant Behaviour	Kaplan (1972)	1
20	Goal Directed Theory	Bagozzi (1992)	2^a
21	Goal Framing Theory	Lindenberg (2007)	1
22	Goal Setting Theory	Locke (1968)	1
23	Health Action Process Approach	Schwarzer (1992)	8
24	Health Behaviour Goal Model	Gerbhardt (2001)	1^a
25	Health Behaviour Internalisation Model	Bellg (2003)	1^a
26	Health Belief Model	Rosenstock (1966)	9
27	Health Promotion Model	Pender (1982)	1
28	Information-Motivation-Behavioural (IMB) Skills Model	Fisher (1992)	18 (17)^b
29	IMB Model of ART Adherence (extension of IMB)	Fisher (2008)	1^a
30	Integrative factors influencing smoking behaviour model	Flay (1983)	1^a
31	Integrative model of health and attitude behaviour change	Flay (1983)	1^a
32	Integrating the factors influencing smoking behaviour and the model of attitude and behaviour change	Flay (1983)	1^a
33	Integrative Model of Behavioural Prediction	Fishbein (2000)	2^a
34	Integrated Theory of Drinking and Behaviour	Wagennar (1994)	1
35	Integrated Theoretical Model for Alcohol and Drug Prevention	Gonzalez (1989)	1^a
36	Integrative Theory of Health Behaviour Change	Ryan (2009)	1^a
37	Model of Pro-environmental Behaviour	Kolmuss (2002)	0
38	Motivation Opportunity Abilities Model	Olander (1995)	0
39	Needs Opportunities Abilities (NOA) Model	Gatersleben (1998)	0
40	Norm Activation Theory	Schwartz (1977)	0
41	Operant Learning Theory	Skinner (1954)	0
42	Precaution Adoption Process Model	Weinstein (1988)	1
43	Pressure System Model	Katz (2001)	1^a
44	PRIME Theory	West (2006)	0
45	Problem Behaviour Theory	Jessor (1977)	0
46	Prospect Theory	Kahneman (1979)	3
47	Protection Motivation Theory	Rogers (1975)	2
48	Prototype Willingness Model	Gibbons (1995)	1^a
49	Rational Addiction Model	Becker (1988)	3^a
50	Reflective Impulsive Model/Dual Process Theory	Strack (2004)	1^a
51	Regulatory Fit Theory	Higgins (2000)	2
52	Relapse Prevention Theory	Marlatt (1980)	1^a
53	Risks as Feelings Model	Lowenstein (2001)	0
54	Self-determination Theory	Deci (2000)	9 (8)^b
55	Self-efficacy Theory	Bandura (1977)	2^a
56	Self-regulation Theory	Kanfer (1970)	1
57	Six Staged Model of Communication Effects	Vaughan (2000)	1^a
58	Social Action Theory	Ewart (1991)	1^a
59	Social Action Theory	Weber (1991)	0
60	Social Change Theory	Thompson (1990)	0
61	Social Cognitive Theory	Bandura (1986)	29 (27)^b
62	Social Consensus Model of Health Education	Romer (1992)	1^a
63	Social Development Model	Hawkins (1985)	3^a
64	Social Identity Theory	Tajfel (1979)	0
65	Social Influence Model of Virtual Community Participation	Dholakia (2004)	1^a
66	Social Ecological Model of Walking	Alfonzo (2005)	1^a
67	Social Ecological Model of Behaviour Change	Panter-Brick (2006)	1^a
68	Social Learning Theory	Miller (1941)	6
69	Social Norms Theory	Perkins (1986)	0
70	Systems Model of Health Behaviour Change	Kershell (1985)	1^a
71	Technology Acceptance Models 1, 2 and 3	Venkatesh (1989, 2000, 2008)	1^a
72	Temporal Self-regulation Theory	Hall (2007)	1^a
73	Terror Management Health Model	Goldenberg (2008)	0
74	Terror Management Theory	Greenberg (1986)	1
75	Theory of Normative Conduct	Cialdini (1991)	2
76	Theory of Interpersonal Behaviour	Triandis (1977)	0
77	Theory of Normative Social Behaviour	Rimal (2005)	1^a
78	Theory of Planned Behaviour/Reasoned Action	Ajzen (1985)	36 (34)^b
79	Theory of Triadic Influence	Flay (1994)	0
80	Transcontextual Model of Motivation	Hagger (2003)	0
81	Transtheoretical/Stages of Change Model	Prochaska (1983)	91 (87)^b
82	Value Belief Norm Theory	Stern (1999)	1

Note: Theories 30–32 were all reported in one paper.

^a Theories for which the primary theory source was identified in our review.

^b Numbers in brackets represent adjusted frequencies for articles in which the same first author has published more than one article applying the same theory to the same data-set or intervention.

Table 2. Characteristics of studies included in the systematic review (N = 276).

Characteristic	Number of articles
Continent/region
North America	171
Europe	76
Asia	15
Australia/Oceania	12
South America	0
Africa	2
Type of study
Intervention	168
Evaluative	62
Descriptive	31
Review	15
Design
Quantitative	243
Qualitative	32
Mixed methods	1
Behaviour^a
Physical activity	72
Safer sex behaviours	36
Multiple health behaviours	35
Smoking cessation/reduction	30
Healthy eating and – physical activity	17
Healthy eating	13
Addictive behaviours (alcohol and drugs)	12
Health screening	11
Environmental conservation	10
Violence and delinquency	9
Sun protective behaviours	9
Medication adherence	5
Job- or education-related activities	4
Internet-/technology-related behaviour	4
HCP adherence to guidelines	3
Financial-related activities	2
Driving behaviour	2
Other	2
Target direction of behaviour
Increase^b	217
Decrease	59
Method of measurement
Self-report	194
Objective	15
Both	37
Not applicable^c	30

^a Articles have been categorised into broad groups of behaviours, for a full breakdown of behaviours, please refer to Supplemental Table 2.

^b Articles that examined maintaining behaviour were categorised as increasing behaviour. For those articles where a direction of the target behaviour was not explicitly outlined, the target was coded in the expected direction of the behaviour in terms of its health promoting effects.

^c Articles that were primary theory sources did not measure behaviour unless they also provided empirical data which tested their theory.