Combining mechanisms of action with behavior change techniques—theory-based development of an app promoting heating energy-saving behaviors
IntroductionThere is an ongoing debate whether the currently used psychological interventions to motivate people to switch to more pro-environmental behavioral alternatives are effective. In the present paper the ‘theory and technique tool’ (TaTT) developed by the Human Behavior Change Project is us...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1534014/full |
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| author | Mara Brandt Mara Brandt Sebastian Bamberg |
| author_facet | Mara Brandt Mara Brandt Sebastian Bamberg |
| author_sort | Mara Brandt |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionThere is an ongoing debate whether the currently used psychological interventions to motivate people to switch to more pro-environmental behavioral alternatives are effective. In the present paper the ‘theory and technique tool’ (TaTT) developed by the Human Behavior Change Project is used to demonstrate the theory-based development of a mobile app promoting heating energy saving behaviors.MethodsFor this purpose, from the stage model of self-regulated behavioral change (SSBC) so-called Mechanisms of Action (MoA) are derived mediating the impact of the intervention on behavioral change. The TaTT is then used for linking these MoAs systematically with evidence based ‘behavior change techniques’ (BCTs).ResultsIn a next step, conceptual design ideas are developed as operationalizations of the included BCTs. In an experimental lab study, we test the effectiveness of one central conceptual design idea aiming to motivate participants to use intervention packages specially tailored to the needs which according to the SSBC an intervention has to target in that stage. The results, however, provide little empirical evidence that this design idea works as theoretically expected.DiscussionThis finding underlines the importance of explicitly testing the ability of conceptual design ideas to activate theoretically proposed MoA-BCT links before the large-scale implementation of that intervention in a costly field study. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d7c4c8846ceb4a9ca89dbdab77b58da0 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-d7c4c8846ceb4a9ca89dbdab77b58da02025-08-20T04:01:09ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-06-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.15340141534014Combining mechanisms of action with behavior change techniques—theory-based development of an app promoting heating energy-saving behaviorsMara Brandt0Mara Brandt1Sebastian Bamberg2Medical Assistance Systems Group, Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, GermanyInteractive Robotics in Medicine and Care, Medical School OWL, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, GermanyDepartment of Social Sciences, University of Applied Sciences and Arts, Bielefeld, GermanyIntroductionThere is an ongoing debate whether the currently used psychological interventions to motivate people to switch to more pro-environmental behavioral alternatives are effective. In the present paper the ‘theory and technique tool’ (TaTT) developed by the Human Behavior Change Project is used to demonstrate the theory-based development of a mobile app promoting heating energy saving behaviors.MethodsFor this purpose, from the stage model of self-regulated behavioral change (SSBC) so-called Mechanisms of Action (MoA) are derived mediating the impact of the intervention on behavioral change. The TaTT is then used for linking these MoAs systematically with evidence based ‘behavior change techniques’ (BCTs).ResultsIn a next step, conceptual design ideas are developed as operationalizations of the included BCTs. In an experimental lab study, we test the effectiveness of one central conceptual design idea aiming to motivate participants to use intervention packages specially tailored to the needs which according to the SSBC an intervention has to target in that stage. The results, however, provide little empirical evidence that this design idea works as theoretically expected.DiscussionThis finding underlines the importance of explicitly testing the ability of conceptual design ideas to activate theoretically proposed MoA-BCT links before the large-scale implementation of that intervention in a costly field study.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1534014/fullstage model of self-regulated behavioral changevirtual agenttheory-based intervention developmentmechanisms of actionbehavior change techniquestheory and technique tool |
| spellingShingle | Mara Brandt Mara Brandt Sebastian Bamberg Combining mechanisms of action with behavior change techniques—theory-based development of an app promoting heating energy-saving behaviors Frontiers in Psychology stage model of self-regulated behavioral change virtual agent theory-based intervention development mechanisms of action behavior change techniques theory and technique tool |
| title | Combining mechanisms of action with behavior change techniques—theory-based development of an app promoting heating energy-saving behaviors |
| title_full | Combining mechanisms of action with behavior change techniques—theory-based development of an app promoting heating energy-saving behaviors |
| title_fullStr | Combining mechanisms of action with behavior change techniques—theory-based development of an app promoting heating energy-saving behaviors |
| title_full_unstemmed | Combining mechanisms of action with behavior change techniques—theory-based development of an app promoting heating energy-saving behaviors |
| title_short | Combining mechanisms of action with behavior change techniques—theory-based development of an app promoting heating energy-saving behaviors |
| title_sort | combining mechanisms of action with behavior change techniques theory based development of an app promoting heating energy saving behaviors |
| topic | stage model of self-regulated behavioral change virtual agent theory-based intervention development mechanisms of action behavior change techniques theory and technique tool |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1534014/full |
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