changes are more likely to stick when they are supported
We may go through a behaviour change process with regard to getting a behaviour for example we may get into the habit of not eating chocolate. At some point the change process will probably come to an end. At that point the new behaviour will continue or we may go back to the old behaviour, which one it is may depend upon whether the new behaviour is supported or not.
A supported behaviour is one is maintained by factors around it. For example with regard to the behaviour of not eating chocolate, if you live amongst people who eat chocolate and who worship the eating of chocolate and who try to temp you, then these factors would not be supporting you not eating chocolate, they will quash the behaviour of not eating chocolate. If on the other hand you live among people who don't eat chocolate and give praise and motivation for not eating it then that would support the behaviour of not eating chocolate.
The next level relates to the fact that there is more than one thing going on at any one time for example you may live among a mix of people, some of whom support eating it and some who don't in which case the average will be towards support or not.
The next level is about time, in that at times you may get support and at times you may not.
The next level would cover the fact that external factors as above are just one type of factor that influences behaviour, another is cognitive behaviour. This is the bit in you that makes logical decisions. You may have decided it makes sense to not eat chocolate in which case this would support the not eating chocolate behaviour, or you may have decided that it is daft to try to not eat chocolate. One conclusion is supporting, the other is quashing.
The next level covers the depth of factors that affect behaviour for example what your feelings are supporting, what your habits are supporting ....
So is a behaviour at any one moment being supported or quashed?
A behaviour is more likely to continue after a change process finishes if that behaviour is supported.
