A key focus of psychological research is applying theory and findings to change individual behaviour.

Change is a constant feature of the human experience.

Psychologists investigate both how behaviour changes and how change can be deliberately promoted.

Applications include education, health treatments and attempts to change health-related behaviour.

Deliberate change can result from intrinsic motivation to alter behaviour.

Examples include changing behaviour through education or health treatments.

Planned change may involve individuals or groups adapting to changing circumstances.

Relevant approaches include intervention, prevention and promotion strategies.

The syllabus links agency and motivation directly to the concept of change.

A major psychological debate concerns how much free will people have over their behaviour.

The alternative is that behaviour may be determined rather than freely chosen.

Relevant forms include biological determinism and environmental determinism.

The concept of change is also linked to agency and motivation.

These ideas help psychologists consider why individuals may initiate, experience or resist behavioural change.

Psychologists recognize that people can show resistance to change.

Barriers to change may reduce the success of attempts to alter behaviour.

Barriers are therefore relevant when considering deliberately planned behavioural change.

Motivation is linked to change because deliberate change may involve an intention to modify behaviour.

Psychologists consider resistance when assessing strategies designed to promote change.

Psychologists evaluate the effectiveness of treatments designed to create change.

They also evaluate health promotion strategies.

Evaluation can occur at individual, local and global levels.

Effectiveness of treatment is a key related term within the concept of change.

Evaluation helps determine whether planned attempts to promote behavioural change have been effective.

Gradual change can occur through processes such as human development.

Sudden change can occur through experiences such as mood changes.

Change can be deliberate or occur without deliberate intention.

Change can also be planned or unplanned.

Individuals and groups may change as they adapt to evolving environmental and technological influences.

Unplanned change can result from unexpected biological changes in the body or mind.

Such change contrasts with deliberate change driven by conscious motivation.

Change therefore does not always depend on an intention to alter behaviour.

Psychologists may consider biological determinism and environmental determinism when explaining why behaviour changes.

Unexpected change can occur alongside the planned adaptation of individuals and groups.

Researchers investigate theories of how to promote change.

Examples include encouraging stress management and healthy eating.

Psychologists also investigate ways of stopping unhealthy behaviour.

Relevant approaches include intervention, prevention and promotion strategies.

These approaches apply psychological findings with the goal of changing behaviour.

Prevalence is a related term for examining patterns associated with change.

The syllabus identifies longitudinal designs as relevant to studying change.

Repeated measures designs are also linked to change because behaviour can be assessed on multiple occasions.

These approaches can help researchers investigate development, maturation and behavioural change.

Research design therefore contributes to understanding how change unfolds.