The Behaviour Change Wheel: From behavioural diagnosis to intervention design

The Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) was developed from 19 frameworks of behaviour change identified in a systematic literature review. It consists of three layers.

The hub of the wheel identifies the sources of the behaviour that could prove fruitful targets for intervention. It uses the COM-B ('capability', 'opportunity', 'motivation', and 'behaviour') model. This model recognises that behaviour is part of an interacting system involving all these components. Interventions need to change one or more of them in such a way as to put the system into a new configuration and minimise the risk of it reverting.

Surrounding the hub is a layer of nine intervention functions to choose from based on the particular COM-B analysis one has undertaken.

The outer layer, the rim of the wheel, identifies seven policy categories that can support the delivery of these intervention functions.

The BCW provides a systematic way of identifying relevant intervention functions and policy categories based on what is understood about the target behaviour. General intervention functions can be translated into specific techniques for changing behaviour – BCT Taxonomy Training.