Name the stages of the Transtheoretical Model of Change.

• A. Initiation, Contemplation, Action, Maintenance
• B. Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance
• C. Precontemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance, Relapse
• D. Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action

Answer: (B)

The stages of change model describes a person’s growing readiness to alter a behavior, moving from not considering change to actively maintaining a new pattern. The recognized sequence is Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, Maintenance. This five-stage path shows increasing commitment and involvement in the change process, with each stage guiding appropriate strategies to advance to the next.

The best choice reflects exactly these five stages in that order. Other options blur the standard model by including terms not used as official stages (like Initiation) or by adding Relapse as a stage, which is not part of the canonical five stages—relapse is a common outcome that can send someone back to earlier stages, but it isn’t an official stage itself. Another option omits Maintenance, which is essential for sustaining change.