Within Better Change
What Are the Active Ingredients of Change?
The taxonomy turns self-improvement advice into testable ingredients rather than slogans.
On this page
- Why techniques matter
- Examples from the taxonomy
- Combining ingredients wisely
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Introduction
The Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy, often shortened to BCT Taxonomy or BCTTv1, is a practical way to translate self-improvement advice into testable ingredients. Instead of saying “be more disciplined”, it asks what is actually being used: goal setting, action planning, prompts, self-monitoring, feedback, social support, rewards, environmental restructuring, or something else. That shift matters because everyday change is easier to improve when it can be named, observed and adjusted.
For non-specialists, the taxonomy is best understood as a labelled parts list for behaviour change. Its first major version organised 93 behaviour change techniques into 16 groups, giving researchers and practitioners a shared language for describing what an intervention contains. [PubMed]pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPubMedThe behavior change technique taxonomy (v1) of 93…by S Michie · 2013 · Cited by 8911 — "BCT taxonomy v1," an extensive taxonomy… Used well, it helps people separate the active ingredient from the slogan. Used badly, it can become a long menu of impressive-sounding techniques with no clear diagnosis of the behaviour problem.
Why techniques matter
Most self-improvement advice is packaged as a principle: build habits, get motivated, stay accountable, become consistent. Those ideas may be useful, but they are too broad to test on their own. The taxonomy pushes the question one level lower: what exactly is being changed in the person’s situation, skill, attention, reward, plan or feedback loop?
That is why BCTTv1 became influential. The original taxonomy was developed because behaviour-change interventions were often described too vaguely for others to replicate or evaluate. If a study simply says it used “counselling”, “education” or “support”, a reader cannot tell whether the actual intervention involved setting behavioural goals, practising skills, reviewing progress, adding prompts, changing the environment, or all of these at once. The taxonomy was designed to make that content explicit. [City Research Online]openaccess.city.ac.ukCity Research OnlineThe Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy (v1) of 93…by S Michie · 2013 · Cited by 8903 — Objectives: The objective o…
For self improvement, this changes the quality of the question. “Why can’t I stick to this?” becomes “Which ingredient is missing?” A person trying to exercise after work may not need more inspiration; they may need an action plan, a cue, reduced friction, social support, or feedback that makes progress visible. A person trying to spend less at night may not need a new identity; they may need to remove saved card details, set a spending rule, monitor purchases, or create a competing routine.
This also makes self-help claims more honest. A book, app, course or coach can be asked: which behaviour change techniques are being used, and why those ones? NICE guidance on individual behaviour-change approaches explicitly names groups such as goals and planning, feedback and monitoring, and social support as relevant intervention components, rather than treating behaviour change as a matter of persuasion alone. [NICE]nice.org.ukOpen source on nice.org.uk.
Examples from the taxonomy
The taxonomy is large, but non-specialists do not need to memorise 93 labels. The useful starting point is to recognise common families of techniques and notice how they differ in real life.
Goals and planning. This family includes setting a behavioural goal, setting an outcome goal, action planning, problem solving, reviewing goals and related techniques. The difference between a vague wish and an action plan is concrete. “Get healthier” is an aspiration; “walk for 20 minutes after lunch on Monday, Wednesday and Friday” is closer to action planning because it specifies what will happen and when. The taxonomy’s wording matters here because action planning is not merely wanting an outcome; it involves planning the performance of the behaviour in context. [digitalwellbeing.org]digitalwellbeing.orgSource details in endnotes.
Feedback and monitoring. Self-monitoring of behaviour, feedback on behaviour, self-monitoring of outcomes and biofeedback all live in this zone. A sleep diary, a step count, a budgeting spreadsheet or a habit tracker is not automatically transformative, but it can make invisible patterns visible. The strongest use is not surveillance for its own sake; it is information that helps the person adjust the next attempt.
Social support. Support can be emotional, practical or unspecified. This distinction is useful outside clinical settings. A friend saying “you’ve got this” is not the same as a friend agreeing to meet you at the gym, watch the children for an hour, or join a study session. Many people say they need accountability when what they really need is practical support or a changed social setting.
Prompts and cues. A cue is a nudge in the environment or routine that makes the behaviour easier to remember. Putting medication beside the kettle, leaving running shoes by the door, setting a phone reminder, or placing a book on the pillow can all work as prompts. The point is not that reminders are magical; it is that remembering should not depend entirely on mental effort at the hardest moment.
Reward and threat. The taxonomy includes techniques such as reward, incentive, punishment and removal of reward. For personal change, these need care. A small reward after completing a desired behaviour can help make repetition more attractive, but over-reliance on external rewards can be brittle if the reward disappears or starts to crowd out the person’s own reasons for change.
Environmental restructuring. This is one of the most practically useful ideas for self improvement. It means changing the physical or social environment so the desired behaviour becomes easier or the unwanted behaviour becomes harder. Examples include keeping fruit visible, blocking distracting websites during work hours, charging the phone outside the bedroom, or choosing a route home that does not pass the shop where impulse spending usually happens.
The point is not to collect techniques. It is to identify the smallest plausible ingredient that changes what happens next. That is why the official BCT training site presents the taxonomy as a way to familiarise users with labels, definitions and examples, and to apply those labels more reliably. [bct-taxonomy.com]bct-taxonomy.comBehaviour Change Technique TaxonomyThus BCTTv1 offers a generally reliable method for specifying, interpreting and implementing the activ…
What the evidence says
The taxonomy itself is not a claim that all 93 techniques work equally well. It is a classification system. Its value is that it makes research and practice more comparable: once intervention content is described in the same language, researchers can ask which ingredients appear in more effective programmes.
Evidence from healthy eating and physical activity research has repeatedly pointed towards self-regulatory techniques such as goal setting, self-monitoring, feedback and review of goals as important candidates. A review summary of Michie and colleagues’ 2009 meta-regression reported support for self-monitoring of behaviour alongside other techniques in interventions promoting physical activity and healthy eating, while also noting methodological cautions. [NCBI]ncbi.nlm.nih.govOpen source on nih.gov. A later meta-review of self-regulatory techniques found that commonly reported components included self-monitoring, feedback on performance, goal setting and review of goals. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govSource details in endnotes.
Action planning is another useful example because it is simple enough for non-specialists to understand and specific enough to study. A 2022 review described action planning as a brief behaviour change technique used to improve physical activity and diet behaviour. [BMJ Open]bmjopen.bmj.comSource details in endnotes. In everyday terms, that means moving from “I should exercise more” to “after I close my laptop at 5.30 pm, I will put on my trainers and walk the same 15-minute route before dinner.”
The evidence is not perfectly tidy. Techniques do not operate in isolation from the person, context, behaviour or delivery method. One review of interventions for older adults found that some self-regulatory techniques associated with success in younger adults were not necessarily associated with better physical activity or self-efficacy in older adults. [Research Explorer]research.manchester.ac.ukwhich behaviour change techniques are most effective at increasinwhich behaviour change techniques are most effective at increasin This is a useful warning for self improvement: a technique is not a universal button. It is an ingredient that needs to match the behaviour problem.
A good non-specialist reading of the evidence is therefore cautious but practical. Techniques such as goal setting, self-monitoring, feedback, action planning, prompts and social support are worth knowing because they recur across evidence-based interventions. But the taxonomy does not say “use all of these” or “this one always works”. It says: name the ingredient, apply it deliberately, observe whether behaviour changes, and revise.
Combining ingredients wisely
The biggest mistake non-specialists make with the taxonomy is treating it like a buffet. If one technique is good, ten must be better. In practice, a crowded self-improvement system can become too hard to maintain: a person tries to set goals, track five metrics, use an app, join a group, reward themselves, journal daily, block websites and review progress every night. The intervention becomes the burden.
A better approach is to start with a behavioural diagnosis. Ask what is blocking the behaviour:
- The behaviour is too vague: use goal setting and action planning.
- The person forgets at the critical moment: use prompts or cues.
- The behaviour is physically or socially inconvenient: use environmental restructuring or practical support.
- Progress is invisible: use self-monitoring and feedback.
- The first attempt fails when obstacles appear: use problem solving and coping planning.
- The behaviour feels unrewarding: use reinforcement, social reward or a more meaningful immediate payoff.
This is where the taxonomy fits naturally with the Behaviour Change Wheel and COM-B model, which frame behaviour as depending on capability, opportunity and motivation. The Behaviour Change Wheel site describes a systematic route from understanding the target behaviour to choosing intervention functions and then specific behaviour change techniques. [Behaviour Change Wheel]behaviourchangewheel.comSource details in endnotes. For self improvement, the plain version is: do not pick a technique because it sounds clever; pick it because it addresses the reason the behaviour is not happening.
A concrete example shows the difference. Suppose someone wants to read before bed but keeps scrolling. A weak plan says: “Be more disciplined.” A taxonomy-informed plan might combine three ingredients: environmental restructuring by charging the phone outside the bedroom, a prompt by placing the book on the pillow, and self-monitoring by marking each successful night on a calendar. If that still fails because the book feels too demanding when tired, the next adjustment might be graded tasks: two pages count as success.
The same logic applies to unwanted behaviours. Someone trying to reduce impulse takeaway orders might use self-monitoring to identify the pattern, problem solving to spot the trigger, restructuring to remove food delivery apps from the home screen, and action planning to prepare a default low-effort meal. The change is not a moral lecture. It is a redesign of the conditions under which the decision happens.
What non-specialists should not overclaim
The taxonomy is powerful, but it has limits. First, it describes intervention content; it does not, by itself, explain the psychological mechanism. The original BCTTv1 paper explicitly treated the taxonomy as a methodological tool for specifying content, not as a theory that automatically links each technique to a causal pathway. [DHI]dhi.ac.ukDHIThe Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy (v1) of 93DHIThe Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy (v1) of 93
That gap has partly been addressed by later work linking behaviour change techniques to mechanisms of action. The Theory and Techniques Tool, for example, presents evidence-informed links between BCTs and mechanisms of action using literature synthesis and expert consensus. [Theory and Techniques Tool]theoryandtechniquetool.humanbehaviourchange.orgSource details in endnotes. For a non-specialist, this means the taxonomy can tell you what you are using, while mechanism tools can help you think about why it might work.
Second, identifying techniques reliably takes training. In one reliability study, trained coders identified many BCTs across intervention descriptions and achieved good agreement for a substantial proportion of techniques, but the work also shows that coding is a skill rather than a casual reading exercise. [NCBI]ncbi.nlm.nih.govOpen source on nih.gov. Another study specifically evaluated training because reliable and valid application of BCTTv1 is not automatic. [Springer]link.springer.comOpen source on springer.com.
Third, self-improvement settings are messy. A technique that works in a structured programme may be weaker when self-delivered through a phone note, app or casual promise. The taxonomy allows BCTs to be delivered by an interventionist or self-delivered, but delivery quality still matters. A prompt that is ignored, a goal that is unrealistic, a reward that feels childish, or self-monitoring that produces shame rather than learning may not help.
The safest conclusion is not “the taxonomy proves this technique will work”. It is “the taxonomy gives you a better language for designing and testing change.”
A practical way to use the taxonomy
For non-specialists, the most useful version of BCTTv1 is not the full technical table. It is a habit of asking precise questions before adding effort. A simple sequence works well:
- Name the target behaviour. Define one observable action: “walk for ten minutes after lunch”, not “be healthier”.
- Find the failure point. Is the barrier forgetting, friction, low confidence, lack of skill, weak feedback, social pressure, fatigue or competing reward?
- Choose one or two techniques. Match the ingredient to the barrier rather than copying someone else’s routine.
- Make the technique visible. Put the cue, tracker, plan, support arrangement or environment change where it affects the real moment of behaviour.
- Review behaviour, not character. After a week, ask what happened and adjust the design.
This is the practical payoff of the taxonomy for self improvement that works. It turns vague advice into a small experiment. Instead of asking whether a person is motivated enough, it asks whether the behaviour has a clear cue, a feasible plan, a supportive context, useful feedback and a reason to repeat. That is less glamorous than a self-help slogan, but it is far more useful when life is busy, imperfect and real.
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Endnotes
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Source: bct-taxonomy.com
Link: https://www.bct-taxonomy.com/aboutSource snippet
Behaviour Change Technique TaxonomyThus BCTTv1 offers a generally reliable method for specifying, interpreting and implementing the activ...
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Source: nice.org.uk
Link: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph49 -
Source: nice.org.uk
Link: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph49/chapter/recommendations -
Source: digitalwellbeing.org
Link: https://digitalwellbeing.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/BCTTv1_PDF_version.pdf -
Source: bct-taxonomy.com
Link: https://www.bct-taxonomy.com/ -
Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK77075/ -
Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7429262/ -
Source: bmjopen.bmj.com
Link: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/12/8/e058229 -
Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3096582/ -
Source: dhi.ac.uk
Title: DHIThe Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy (v1) of 93
Link: https://www.dhi.ac.uk/san/waysofbeing/data/health-jones-michie-2013.pdf -
Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK327611/ -
Source: link.springer.com
Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13142-014-0290-z -
Source: bmjopen.bmj.com
Link: https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/9/e036500 -
Source: bct-taxonomy.com
Link: https://www.bct-taxonomy.com/pdf/StarterPack.pdf -
Source: link.springer.com
Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13012-020-01015-w -
Source: link.springer.com
Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13012-015-0248-7 -
Source: link.springer.com
Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12966-023-01555-6 -
Source: link.springer.com
Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12966-017-0494-y -
Source: link.springer.com
Link: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12966-020-01001-x -
Source: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23512568/Source snippet
PubMedThe behavior change technique taxonomy (v1) of 93...by S Michie · 2013 · Cited by 8911 — "BCT taxonomy v1," an extensive taxonomy...
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Source: openaccess.city.ac.uk
Link: https://openaccess.city.ac.uk/id/eprint/3293/Source snippet
City Research OnlineThe Behavior Change Technique Taxonomy (v1) of 93...by S Michie · 2013 · Cited by 8903 — Objectives: The objective o...
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Source: research.manchester.ac.uk
Title: which behaviour change techniques are most effective at increasin
Link: https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/publications/which-behaviour-change-techniques-are-most-effective-at-increasin -
Source: behaviourchangewheel.com
Link: https://www.behaviourchangewheel.com/about-wheel -
Source: theoryandtechniquetool.humanbehaviourchange.org
Link: https://theoryandtechniquetool.humanbehaviourchange.org/ -
Source: sciencedirect.com
Title: Behavior Change Technique
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/behavior-change-technique -
Source: springermedizin.de
Link: https://www.springermedizin.de/which-behavior-change-techniques-are-associated-with-changes-in-/9175042 -
Source: play.google.com
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?hl=en_US&id=com.BCTTaxonomy -
Source: play.google.com
Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?hl=en_GB&id=com.BCTTaxonomy -
Source: humanbehaviourchange.org
Link: https://www.humanbehaviourchange.org/training
Additional References
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJXUkSPNihcSource snippet
BCT workshop 2021 Session 3: Uses of the BCTTv1...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44YPG97nt_cSource snippet
15-minute Introduction to the Behaviour Change Wheel...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7YfgDozRAUSource snippet
BCT workshop 2021 Session 2: The Development of the BCTTv1...
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Source: researchgate.net
Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/361828493_Behaviour_change_techniques_in_cardiovascular_disease_smartphone_apps_to_improve_physical_activity_and_sedentary_behaviour_Systematic_review_and_meta-regression -
Source: researchgate.net
Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338793396_Self-regulatory_behavior_change_techniques_in_interventions_to_promote_healthy_eating_physical_activity_or_weight_loss_A_meta-review -
Source: researchgate.net
Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/321440716_Unique_Effects_of_Setting_Goals_on_Behavior_Change_Systematic_Review_and_Meta-Analysis -
Source: researchgate.net
Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/367325681_Behaviour_change_techniques_taxonomy_v1_Feedback_to_inform_the_development_of_an_ontology -
Source: phwwhocc.co.uk
Link: https://phwwhocc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Identifying-and-Applying-Behaviour-Change-Techniques-1.pdf -
Source: academia.edu
Link: https://www.academia.edu/21027165/Reliability_of_Identification_of_Behavior_Change_Techniques_in_Intervention_Descriptions -
Source: iresp.net
Link: https://www.iresp.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Michie-Workshop-France-2016.pdf
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