Table 1.

BCTs defined by Michie et al [27].

BCTs used in this prototype	Definition
1. Provide information on consequences of behavior in general	Information about the relationship between the behavior and its possible or likely consequences in the general case, usually based on epidemiological data, and not personalized for the individual (contrast with technique 2).
2. Provide information on consequences of the behavior to the individual	Information about the benefits and costs of action or inaction to the individual or tailored to a relevant group based on that individual’s characteristic (ie, demographics, clinical, behavioral, or psychological information). This can include any costs or benefits and not necessarily those related to health (eg, feelings).
3. Provide information about others’ approval	Involves information about what other people think about the target person’s behavior. It clarifies whether others will like, approve, or disapprove of what the person is doing or will do.
4. Goal setting (behavior)	The person is encouraged to make a behavioral resolution (eg, do more exercise next week). This is directed towards encouraging people to decide to change or maintain change.
5. Barrier identification/problem solving	This presumes having formed an initial plan to change behavior. The person is prompted to think about potential barriers and identify the ways of overcoming them. Barriers may include competing goals in specified situations. This may be described as problem solving. If it is problem solving in relation to the performance of a behavior, then it counts as an instance of this technique. Examples of barriers may include behavioral, cognitive, emotional, environmental, social, and/or physical barriers.
6. Provide feedback on performance	This involves providing the participant with data about their own recorded behavior or commenting on a person’s behavioral performance or a discrepancy between one’s own performance in relation to others’.
7. Plan social support/social change	Involves prompting the person to plan how to elicit social support from other people to help him/her achieve their target behavior/outcome. This will include support during interventions (eg, setting up a buddy system or other forms of support and following the intervention including support provided by the individuals delivering the intervention, partner, friends, and family).
8. Prompt identification as a role model/position advocate	Involves focusing on how the person may be an example to others and affect their behavior (eg, being a good example to children). Also includes providing opportunities for participants to persuade others of the importance of adopting or changing the behavior (eg, giving a talk or running a peer-led session).