What Is The Process Of Consumers Behavioral Change? Some Insights In Spiral Model

Process of Behavioral change

The process of change in the attitude, intension and behavior of consumers get start in stages of chronological aspects as spiral model has described it (Patten et al., 2000; Prochaska et al., 1992; Rodgers, Courneya, & Bayduza, 2001), and may help in understanding the behavioral barriers and a great mean for program designers who engage in the transition from one stage to other. Several processes have mentioned in previous literature and have gain empirical support for cognitive and behavioral activities to get progress in modifying behavior (Patten et al., 2000; Prochaska et al., 1992; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Rodgers, Courneya, & Bayduza, 2001; Velicer et al., 1998). Some processes consist of experimental stages while some processes highlight behavioral aspects.

In the consciousness raising stage consumers need to get increase in knowledge, awareness about negative consequences, and the reasons of problem in existing behavior (Patten et al., 2000; Prochaska et al., 1992; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Velicer et al., 1998). The awareness of problematic behavior can be increased by getting feedback, reading articles in relevant field, education, confrontation, interpretation and advertising campaign of companies, and concerned authorities (Prochaska et al., 1992; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Velicer et al., 1998). While in the stage of dramatic relief, consumers are conscious to get some experience of the relevant problem, expression of feeling, and emotions toward problematic behavior (Patten et al., 2000; Prochaska et al., 1992). For example, the death of someone can influence the perception of consumers toward problematic behavior (Patten et al., 2000). In environmental re-evaluation stage, consumers assess the influence of problematic behavior of their social life and surrounding environment (Patten et al., 2000; Prochaska et al., 1992; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Velicer et al., 1998), while in self-re-evaluation stage consumers assess themselves with problematic and non-problematic behavior (Prochaska et al., 1992; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Velicer et al., 1998). In this stage consumers assess the way of their own feelings about problematic behavior and move from contemplation to preparation stage (Patten et al., 2000).

In self-liberation stage, consumers assess their beliefs in regard of problematic and modified behavior, their commitment toward beliefs (Patten et al., 2000; Prochaska et al., 1992; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Velicer et al., 1998), and using different strategies in self-liberation stage like; public testimonies, New Year resolutions, commitment enhancing techniques and availability of choices which increase their commitment towards ceasing problematic behavior (Prochaska et al., 1992; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Velicer et al., 1998). While in social liberation stage, consumers are seeking opportunities of non-problematic behavior in their surrounding environment (Patten et al., 2000; Prochaska et al., 1992; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Velicer et al., 1998). In counter condition stage, consumers try to learn about healthy behavior, relaxation, assertion and all other positive self-statements (Patten et al., 2000; Prochaska et al., 1992; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Velicer et al., 1998). In helping relationship stage, consumers are open to interact with other and can trust those who support them in changing their problematic buying behavior like social support, self-help group and counsellor calls (Prochaska et al., 1992; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Velicer et al., 1998). However, the contingency management is helpful in providing guidance to avoid problematic behavior (Patten et al., 2000; Prochaska et al., 1992; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Velicer et al., 1998), where punishment and reward system to promote healthy buying behavior are the key concept of contingency management (Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Velicer et al., 1998). In stimulus control stage, consumers need to left or remove the stimuli of problematic behavior and in struggle to adopt the habits of healthy behavior (Patten et al., 2000; Prochaska et al., 1992; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Velicer et al., 1998). It has assumed that adopting own healthy environment and favorable behavior in buying, self-help community or groups are helpful to structure appropriate change and reduce the chances of relapse (Prochaska et al., 1992; Prochaska & Velicer, 1997; Velicer et al., 1998).

In order to get change in the buying behavior of consumers is often the goal of an organization and the government of a country. Most often organizations give incentives, providing useful information and execute attractive advertisement to create desired change in a society. For example, Clean Up the World, is the United Nation Environment Program that executing a global campaign to inspire communities to bring desired change in the world. Practitioners and advertisers are using different techniques to get desired change in the consumers’ behavior due health issues or other profit generating purposes. Such as, Ioanas and Stoica (2014) have noted that 62% consumers in USA read advertisement in social networking sites, 98% finds it reliable, while 80% of these consumers noted change in their buying intention. Similarly, Hayta (2013) also noted the influence of social advertisement in changing the buying behavior of Turkish consumers. The study has mentioned the influence of social advertising on buying behavior in terms of consumption, searching for additional information’s and as a communication tool to share satisfaction. Likewise, Kumari (2012) has noted a dramatic change in Indian consumers buying behavior due to increase in advertisement through social media. However, previous literature has mentioned various techniques and theories to create desired change in buying behavior of consumers. Like, social cognitive theory, theory of planned behavior and spiral model are the well-known theories of behavioral change.

Social cognitive theory has the philosophy that people are not changed due to inner forces but because of environmental and personal factors. Environmental factors include the situation in which behavior is performed and personal factors consist of traits, instincts, drives and other inspiring factors (Bandura, 1986; Perry et al., 1990). Theory of planned behavior has the point of views that behavior is based on one’s intention to perform certain behavior. Intention is the combination of attitude and social subjective norms, while behavior is the perception of abilities and level of confidence to perform certain behavior (Ajzen, 1991; Armitage & Conner, 2001; Grizzell, 2007). The behavioral change has been investigated both on individual level and group level (Manzano, Rivas & Bonilla, 2012), where health belief model (HBM) and the consumers theory of information processing are widely used on individual level while the Glanz and Rimer (1996) work is important to achieve the goals at group or community level. Antonio Leal Jimenez (2000) has proposed a model of behavior change process in the field of marketing and psychology on their own experience with four phases; observation, analysis, behavior, and affirmation. In observation stage, individual may unaware of the problem and believe that they may not directly involved in the problematic behavior or their beliefs may be different than the proposed behavioral change (Manzano, Rivas & Bonilla, 2012), while in analysis phase, the individual may conscious to change the problematic behavior and analyze the pros and cons of changing process.

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In behavior phase, individuals have already understanding about the pros and cons of change and may able to decide for adopting a new favorable behavior (Manzano, Rivas & Bonilla, 2012), while in affirmative stage, a reminder strategy is required to control the newly socially desirable behavior. However, Spiral model is often used in social advertising for creating change in buying behavior of a society (Manzano et al., 2012). It was developed by James, Rrochaske and Diclemente in the year 1983 with different phases that are Pre-contemplation, Contemplation, Decision or Preparation, Action, Maintenance and termination. Various researchers have used this model to assess the behavioral change of consumers and has widely used by clinicians for promoting cessation of unhealthy behaviors, for example smoking cessation (Norcross, Krebs & Prochaska, 2011).

Spiral Model of Behavioral Change

The change in behavior of consumers can produce through a five stage model that is known as Spiral model of stages that are; pre-contemplation, contemplation, decision, action, maintenance and termination (Manzano, Rivas & Bonilla, 2012), is often applied in social marketing and is the transtheoretical model of behavioral change. Spiral model is often known as five stages of change model was developed by Prochaska and DiClemente in 1983 along with pre-contemplation, contemplation, decision, action, maintenance and termination stage (Manzano, Rivas and Bonilla, 2012). The spiral model of behavioral change has focus on the decision making abilities of consumers instead of social and biological influences (Velicer et a., 1998). This model has been developed in a systematic integration of more than 300 relevant theories of psychotherapy as well as behavioral change (Prochaska & Velicer, 1997). These stages are explained in detail as below;

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