Which model, created by Prochaska and DiClemente, has four stages and is used in counseling related to behavior change?

• A. Stages of Change Model
• B. Health Promotion Model
• C. Health Belief Model
• D. Agent-Host-Environment Model

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is that changing behavior is a process with distinct readiness stages. Prochaska and DiClemente introduced the Stages of Change, a framework that guides counseling by matching what support a person needs to their current place in that process. People typically move from not intending to change, to thinking about change, to getting ready to change, and then to taking action, with ongoing work to maintain the new behavior. This staging helps practitioners tailor interventions—raising awareness in early stages, helping with planning in preparation, supporting skill-building during action, and offering relapse-prevention strategies in maintenance. Other models focus on beliefs, perceived benefits or barriers, or environmental factors rather than the sequence of readiness to change, so they don’t fit this question as well.