COM-B Behaviour Change Model

What is the COM-B Behaviour Change model?

The COM-B behaviour change model offers a practical way of understanding what drives people’s behaviour and how it can be changed. It explains that behaviour (B) is shaped by three connected factors:

• Capability (C) – whether someone has the knowledge, skills and physical ability to do something. This includes both psychological capability (such as knowing how to budget or learning a new skill) and physical capability (such as the strength or stamina needed for a task)
• Opportunity (O) – the external circumstances that make a behaviour possible or easier. This covers the physical environment (like time, resources, or access) as well as the social environment (such as cultural norms, social support or peer influence)
• Motivation (M) – the internal processes that push or pull someone towards a behaviour. This can be reflective (conscious intentions, planning, decision-making) or automatic (emotions, impulses, habits

The model highlights that these three elements are closely linked. For example, creating opportunities can build capability which in turn can strengthen motivation. In other words, behaviour change happens when people have the ability, the opportunity and the motivation to act, and when these factors outweigh barriers or competing behaviours.

To find out more about our approach to behaviour change, and the DJS Research Behavioural Science Unit, head to our behavioural science pages or contact Research Director Alex McCluckie at amccluckie@djsresearch.com. 

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