From changing cognitions to changing the context: a dual-route model of behaviour change
File(s)
Working Paper
Author(s)
Vlaev, I
Dolan, P
Type
Report
Abstract
Existing theories of behaviour change in psychology and behavioural economics rely mostly on changing cognitions and incentives as a route to altering behavioural responses. We propose a more general reflective-automatic model (RAM), which postulates that, in addition to cognitive change, interventions can also rely exclusively on contextual change as an alternative route to behaviour change. RAM is a dual-process model which assumes that these two routes rely predominantly on different information processing systems – the reflective system is in charge of changing cognitions and the automatic system responds to changing the context. We also identify four processes: salience, norms, affect, and priming (SNAP), which can bring about behaviour change by relying mainly on the automatic system. The SNAP processes might be important targets for population-wide behaviour change initiatives and have important implications for psychological research, health promotion and policy analysis
Version
Working Paper
Date Issued
2009-06-23
Citation
From changing cognitions to changing the context: a dual-route model of behaviour change, 2009, pp.1-94
ISSN
1744-6783
Publisher
Imperial College Business School
Start Page
1
End Page
94
Is Part Of Series
From changing cognitions to changing the context: a dual-route model of behaviour change
Journal / Book Title
From changing cognitions to changing the context: a dual-route model of behaviour change
Copyright Statement
© Imperial College Business School 2009
Report Number
2009/04
Subjects
health psychology
behavioural economics
population-wide intervention
dual-process theory
behaviour change
Article Number
2009/04