The COM-B Model and Behavior Change

The COM-B model, developed by Michie et al. in 2011, is a comprehensive framework designed to understand the factors that influence behavior change.[1] The model posits that for any behavior (B) to occur, three essential components must be present: Capability (C), Opportunity (O), and Motivation (M).[2] Together, these components create a foundation for behavior change interventions, enabling practitioners to identify barriers and facilitators to effective change.

Key Components of the COM-B Model Capability (C): This refers to an individual’s psychological and physical ability to perform a behavior.[3] Capability can be further divided into:

1. Physical Capability: The physical skills and strength required to perform a behavior.
2. Psychological Capability: The knowledge and mental skills necessary for behavior execution. This includes understanding how to perform a behavior and the cognitive processes that enable one to plan and execute actions.

Opportunity (O): Opportunity encompasses all the external factors that make a behavior possible or hinder it.[4] It can be divided into:

1. Physical Opportunity: The environmental factors and resources that facilitate or obstruct behavior. This includes access to necessary tools, resources, and physical space.
2. Social Opportunity: The influence of social factors such as norms, culture, and relationships that may support or discourage a particular behavior.

Motivation (M): Motivation involves the internal processes that energize and direct behavior.[5] It can be influenced by:

1. Reflective Motivation: Deliberate and conscious evaluations of the outcomes associated with a behavior. This includes beliefs about the value of the behavior and its potential consequences.
2. Automatic Motivation: The subconscious influences that drive behavior, such as emotions, impulses, and habits. Automatic motivations can be positive (e.g., enjoyment) or negative (e.g., fear).

How the COM-B Model Facilitates Behavior Change The COM-B model serves as a foundation for developing behavior change interventions by allowing practitioners to analyze the interplay between capability, opportunity, and motivation. Here’s how the model can be effectively utilized:

Assessing Behavior: Practitioners can begin by identifying the specific behavior they want to change and assessing the current levels of capability, opportunity, and motivation associated with that behavior.[6] This analysis helps to pinpoint the barriers and facilitators influencing behavior.

Designing Interventions: Based on the assessment, targeted interventions can be designed to enhance capability, increase opportunity, and boost motivation.

For example:

1. To improve Capability, training programs, skill development workshops, or educational materials can be implemented.
2. To enhance Opportunity, modifications to the environment, such as increasing access to resources or creating supportive social networks, can be made.
3. To boost Motivation, strategies such as goal setting, positive reinforcement, and motivational interviewing can be employed to foster intrinsic motivation.

Evaluating Outcomes: The COM-B model allows for ongoing evaluation of behavior change interventions. By measuring changes in capability, opportunity, and motivation over time, practitioners can assess the effectiveness of their strategies and make necessary adjustments.

Applications of the COM-B Model

The COM-B model has been applied across various fields, including health promotion, education, and organizational behavior:

1. Health Promotion: In public health initiatives, the COM-B model can guide interventions aimed at promoting healthy behaviors, such as smoking cessation, physical activity, and healthy eating.[7] By understanding the barriers and facilitators associated with these behaviors, targeted programs can be developed to increase success rates.
2. Education: In educational settings, the COM-B model can be utilized to enhance student engagement and learning outcomes. By assessing students’ capabilities and opportunities to learn, educators can create supportive environments that foster motivation and facilitate academic success.
3. Workplace Behavior: In organizational contexts, the COM-B model can inform strategies to improve employee performance, satisfaction, and well-being.[8] By addressing the factors that influence motivation and capability within the workplace, organizations can create a culture that supports positive behaviors and outcomes.

Challenges and Considerations

While the COM-B model provides a valuable framework for understanding behavior change, there are several challenges[9] to consider:

1. Complex Interactions: The relationships between capability, opportunity, and motivation are often complex and dynamic. Multiple factors may interact, making it challenging to isolate specific influences on behavior.
2. Individual Differences: Variability in individual characteristics, such as personality, culture, and experiences, can impact how people respond to interventions. Tailoring approaches to meet diverse needs is essential for success.
3. Contextual Factors: The effectiveness of interventions may be influenced by contextual factors such as societal norms, economic conditions, and policy environments. Practitioners should consider these external influences when designing behavior change strategies.

Conclusion

The COM-B model offers a comprehensive framework for understanding and facilitating behavior change. By focusing on the interplay between capability, opportunity, and motivation, practitioners can develop targeted interventions that address the specific barriers and facilitators influencing behavior. Whether applied in health promotion, education, or organizational settings, the COM-B model serves as a valuable tool for promoting positive behavior change and fostering personal and professional growth. By utilizing this model, individuals and organizations can create environments that empower individuals to take charge of their behaviors and achieve lasting transformation.

Are you interested in mastering everything about behavior change, behavior activation, consistency, sustainability, and motivation? If so, you’ll be excited to hear that SWEET Institute has declared the last quarter of 2024 the “Behavior Change Quarter.” You can choose from several learning opportunities, including a virtual conference, a 12-week weekly certificate course on behavior activation, and an 8-week master class certificate course on behavior change and motivation. Click on any of the options below to join us—we look forward to seeing you!

1. Behavior Change and Motivation Master Class Certificate Course: 8 weeks, Wednesdays, 7-9 pm, September 11, 2024, through October 30, 2024.
2. Behavior Modification Certificate Course: 12 weeks, Thursdays, 12-1 pm, September 19, 2024, through December 19, 2024.
3. Behavior Activation Virtual Conference: 4 hours, Friday, October 18, 2024, from 9am-1 pm Eastern Time

[1] Michie, Susan, Maartje M. Van Stralen, and Robert West. “The behaviour change wheel: a new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions.”?Implementation science?6 (2011): 1-12.

[2] Jatau, Abubakar Ibrahim, et al. “Applying the capability, opportunity, and motivation behaviour model (COM-B) to guide the development of interventions to improve early detection of atrial fibrillation.”?Clinical Medicine Insights: Cardiology?13 (2019): 1179546819885134.

[3] Willmott, Taylor Jade, Bo Pang, and Sharyn Rundle-Thiele. “Capability, opportunity, and motivation: an across contexts empirical examination of the COM-B model.”?BMC Public Health?21.1 (2021): 1014.

[4] Keyworth, Chris, et al. “Acceptability, reliability, and validity of a brief measure of capabilities, opportunities, and motivations (“COM‐B”).”?British journal of health psychology?25.3 (2020): 474-501.

[5] Huynh, Trinh LT, Stephanie L. Silveira, and Robert W. Motl. “Physical activity behavior in persons newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis: Applying the Capability–Opportunity–Motivation–Behavior (COM-B) model.”?Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders?69 (2023): 104432.

[6] Smith, Troy, Eric Rutger Leukfeldt, and Steve van de Weijer. “Moving from Risk Factors to Positive Online Behaviors: An integrated behavioral change approach.”?The Routledge International Handbook of Online Deviance. Routledge, 2023. 201-222.

[7] Carney, Rebekah, Tim Bradshaw, and Alison R. Yung. “Physical health promotion for young people at ultra‐high risk for psychosis: An application of the COM‐B model and behaviour‐change wheel.”?International journal of mental health nursing?25.6 (2016): 536-545.

[8] Gradidge, Philippe Jean-Luc, et al. “A qualitative analysis of workers perceptions on the role of management in promoting health behaviour, informed by the COM-B model.”?Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine?(2023): 10-1097.

[9] Bian, Wei, et al. “Exploring challenges to nutrition intervention adherence using COM-B model among patients with wet age-related macular degeneration: a qualitative study.”?BMJ open?12.11 (2022): e064892.