Identifying overlap between theories of behaviour change

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to identify similarities between constructs used in different behaviour change theories, with a view to facilitating theory selection and creating an overarching, synthetic framework within which individual theories can be located. Methods: Constructs were extracted from 83 theories of behaviour change identified in a multidisciplinary literature review. Construct definitions were generated from theory sources, dictionaries and expert consensus. These definitions were used to judge construct similarity across theories, and these similarities were recorded in a relational database. The five most frequently used theories were analysed in the first instance. Findings: 1725 constructs were identified, with a mean of 21 per theory and range of 5-84. The five most frequently used theories contained 67 constructs, of which 34 were deemed similar or indistinguishable. Each construct featured in, on average, 2 of the 5 theories (range 1 to 5). Discussion: There are considerable similarities between constructs across different theories of behaviour change. This suggests a prospect for synthesising constructs to create a ‘prototype’ theory, which could form an overarching framework for other theories.