From theory-inspired to theory-based interventions: A protocol for developing and testing a methodology for linking behaviour change techniques to theoretical mechanisms of action

BACKGROUND: Understanding links between behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and mechanisms of action (the processes through which they affect behaviour) helps inform the systematic development of behaviour change interventions. PURPOSE: This research aims to develop and test a methodology for linking BCTs to their mechanisms of action. METHODS: Study 1 Published explicit links: Hypothesised links between 93 BCTs (from the 93-item BCT taxonomy, BCTTv1) and mechanisms of action will be identified from published interventions, and their frequency, explicitness, and precision documented. Study 2 Expert-agreed explicit links: Behaviour change experts will identify links between 61 BCTs and 26 mechanisms of action in a formal consensus study. Study 3 Integrated matrix of explicit links: Agreement between Studies 1 and 2 will be evaluated and a new group of experts will discuss discrepancies. An integrated matrix of BCT- mechanism of action links, annotated to indicate strength of evidence, will be generated. Study 4 Published implicit links: To determine whether groups of co-occurring BCTs can be linked to theories, we will identify groups of BCTs that are used together (i.e. BCT ‘clusters’) from the Study 1 literature. A consensus exercise will be used to rate strength of links between BCT clusters and theories. CONCLUSIONS: A formal methodology for linking BCTs to their hypothesised mechanisms of action can contribute to the development and evaluation of behaviour change interventions. This research is a step towards developing a behaviour change ‘ontology’, specifying relations between BCTs, mechanisms of action, modes of delivery, populations, settings and types of behaviour.Medical Research Council (Grant ID: MR/L011115/1)This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Springer via http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12160-016-9816-