Table 1.
Key targets in general app features with proposed process of change, intervention functions and behaviour change techniques (BCTs)
| Features | Key targets | Proposed process of change a | Intervention functions b | BCTs c | Sample text |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goal setting | • Set a behaviour change goal: stopping smoking or cutting down • Prompt participants to affirm commitment to their selected goal • Review goal and advise participants to consider modifying it if needed |
• Psychological capability: self-regulation • Reflective motivation: intentions; goals |
Enablement Persuasion | 1.1 Goal setting (behaviour) 1.5 Review behaviour goal 1.6 Discrepancy between current behaviour and goal 1.9 Commitment |
“As you are progressing very well here, it’s a good time to revisit your initial goal and think about stopping smoking completely. You can do this!” |
| Feedback and monitoring | • Prompt participants to record how many cigarettes they smoke each day • Provide feedback on performance of the selected behaviour • Praise participants for progress in changing the behaviour • Prompt self-praise and self-reward • Boost motivation and self-confidence • Advise participants to think about previous successes with quitting |
• Psychological capability: self-regulation • Environmental opportunity: resources • Automatic motivation: habit formation; reinforcement • Reflective motivation: self-confidence |
Enablement Persuasion | 2.2 Feedback on behaviour 2.3 Self-monitoring of behaviour 10.4 Social reward 10.7 Self-incentive 10.9 Self-reward 15.1 Verbal persuasion about capability 15.3 Focus on past success |
“You have reached your one-week milestone. Sounds like a great achievement! Why do not you think about a reward for yourself if you stick to your smokefree goal for the next 7 days?” |
| Features available pre-quit | • Provide information about the app, the research team, nicotine addiction and withdrawal symptoms • Prompt participants to think about why they want to quit smoking • Prompt planning of performing the behaviour |
• Psychological capability: knowledge; planning • Automatic motivation: desires |
Education Persuasion |
1.4 Action planning 3.1 Social support (unspecified) 5.3 Information about the social and environmental consequences 11.1 Pharmacological support 12.1 Restructuring the physical environment 12.2 Restructuring the social environment 12.3 Avoidance/reducing exposure to cues for the behaviour |
“SmokeFree Baby has been developed by a research team at University College London who specialize in smoking cessation.” |
| Savings calculator | • Monitor and provide feedback on how much money participants have saved | • Automatic motivation: reinforcement | Persuasion | 2.7 Feedback on outcome of behaviour | “Saved so far up to £10. That’s enough to buy a baby bottle.” |
| ‘Medicine’ | • Provide information about smoking cessation medications | • Psychological capability: knowledge | Education | 11.1 Pharmacological support | “It is best to combine mouth spray with […] nicotine patches.” |
| ‘Support’ | • Advise on eliciting social support | • Social opportunity: social influence | Enablement | 1.4 Action planning 3.1 Social support (unspecified) |
“Think about the people closest to you who you can rely on when you need support. Add their phone numbers here and call them if you feel that the urge to smoke is getting overwhelming.” |
| ‘Memos’ | • Advise on eliciting social support • Prompt participants to reaffirm their commitment with the behaviour change |
• Social opportunity: social influence • Reflective motivation: intentions; goals |
Enablement Persuasion | 3.1 Social support (unspecified) 1.9 Commitment |
“Help maintain your motivation to stop smoking or cut down by recording supportive video messages from your friends and family. You can also record your personal commitment to the goal you set for yourself.” |
| ‘Social’ | • Provide information about cues and social situations that can trigger urges to smoke • Provide tips to avoid environmental and social cues of smoking • Advise on eliciting social support |
• Psychological capability: knowledge; self-regulation; planning • Social opportunity: social influence; social cues • Environmental opportunity: environmental cues • Reflective motivation: beliefs about consequences |
Education Persuasion Environmental restructuring |
1.4 Action planning 3.1 Social support (unspecified) 3.2 Social support (practical) 3.3 Social support (emotional) 4.2 Information about antecedents 5.3 Information about the social and environmental consequences 6.3 Information about others’ approval 12.1 Restructuring the physical environment 12.2 Restructuring the social environment 12.3 Avoidance/reducing exposure to cues for the behaviour 15.2 Mental rehearsal of successful performance 16.2. Imaginary reward 16.3. Vicarious consequences |
“Imagine that you are out with friends and you are the only one who does not smoke. Prepare in advance what you are going to do when they go to have a cigarette. For example you can browse the internet on your phone to kill time.” |