Evidence map›Paper›PMID 27401001›Full record

ArticleAnnals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine2018

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.

Susan Michie, Rachel N Carey, Marie Johnston, Alexander J Rothman, Marijn de Bruin, Michael P Kelly, Lauren E Connell

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In one paragraph

Article in Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 198 papers, 26 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
198citing papers in PubMed, 26 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

198 citing papers in PubMed, 26 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

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  5. Audit and feedback: effects on professional practice.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025
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  10. A Systematic Review of the Mediators of Resistance Training Behavior.International journal of behavioral medicine · 2024
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  14. Built environment interventions and physical activity levels: A systematic review.Biomedica : revista del Instituto Nacional de Salud · 2022
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138 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Susan MichieDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
Rachel N CareyDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.
Marie JohnstonUniversity of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Alexander J RothmanUniversity of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
Marijn de BruinUniversity of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.
Michael P KellyUniversity of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Lauren E ConnellDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK.

Funding

Medical Research Council G0901474Medical Research Council MR/L011115/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

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 from the study 1 literature. A consensus exercise will be used to rate strength of links between groups of BCT 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.

Indexed as

ConsensusHealth BehaviorPsychological TheoryBehavioral MedicineClinical Studies as TopicHumans

Identifiers

PMID27401001
PMCPMC6367898

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.