| Course | PHE 340 Social and Behavioral Health |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 4 |
| Paper type | undergraduate discussion post on the transtheoretical model and social norms |
| Length | About 350 words, 3 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Southern New Hampshire University |
| Program | BS Public Health |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PHE 340 Module 4
Module Four Discussion
Twelve Drivers, Five Stages
After reading about the transtheoretical model, I went back to my notes from twelve interviews with Sandhills drivers and tried to place each one in a stage of change for buckling on short ranch trips.
Prochaska and Velicer (1997) describe stages from precontemplation, not intending to change soon, through contemplation, preparation and action to maintenance, and argue that people at different stages need different approaches. Four of my drivers were in precontemplation; a 64-year-old rancher put it plainly: Around the place, I don't need it. Three were contemplating; one said he had been meaning to start since his neighbor rolled his truck in March. Two were preparing, one having told his kids he would buckle every trip starting at harvest. Two young workers were in action for highway trips but slipped back on the ranch. Only one, a woman who buckled every trip for her children, was in maintenance.
Stage-matched messages make sense for this spread. Precontemplators need reasons to see short trips as risky, contemplators need the balance of pros and cons tipped, preparers need practical routines for gate-heavy runs and people in action need support against slipping. But the interviews also showed something the model does not center: movement between stages often followed the people around the driver. The young workers slipped back when the crew did not buckle. The man in preparation got there because his kids asked. Ajzen (1991) emphasized that what important others expect shapes intention, and in a pickup cab, what others do may matter even more. Strine et al. (2010) found belt use lowest in the most rural areas, and I suspect that is partly because small crews make the descriptive norm so strong.
So I would use stages to tailor messages but would put most effort into changing what people see in the cab, because a respected rancher who buckles every trip moves many people at once.
For classmates: where does most of your audience sit in the stages, and what in their surroundings might move them? That is the lever I want to study next.
References
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T
Prochaska, J. O., & Velicer, W. F. (1997). The transtheoretical model of health behavior change. American Journal of Health Promotion, 12(1), 38-48. https://doi.org/10.4278/0890-1171-12.1.38
Strine, T. W., Beck, L. F., Bolen, J., Okoro, C., Dhingra, S., & Balluz, L. (2010). Geographic and sociodemographic variation in self-reported seat belt use in the United States. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 42(4), 1066-1071. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2009.12.014
What the PHE 340 Module 4 instructions ask for
For Module Four, PHE 340 asks for a discussion of the stages of change model and the role of social norms. A one-page post drawing on two or three APA 7 sources works, with replies afterward. Using interviews, observations or published studies, place members of your audience in stages of change for your behavior, with brief evidence for each placement. Explain what each stage would need from an intervention. Then consider how social norms, what people around the audience approve of and actually do, move people between stages, using research where possible. State where you would put the most effort and why. End by asking classmates where their own audiences sit and what might move them.
How this PHE 340 Module 4 discussion example is built
Nebraska's Sandhills student places twelve interviewed drivers into the stages Prochaska and Velicer describe: four precontemplators, including a rancher who says he doesn't need a belt around the place, three contemplators, two preparers, two young workers in action who slip back on the ranch and one woman in maintenance who buckles for her children. Stage-matched needs are outlined. The interviews show movement following other people, crews pulling young workers back and children pulling a father forward, which Ajzen's emphasis on others' expectations helps explain. Strine and colleagues' rural pattern suggests small crews magnify the norm. The PHE 340 post puts most effort on what people see in the cab. Norms, not facts, move most drivers.
Where the PHE 340 Module 4 rubric puts the points
Graders of the PHE 340 stages and norms discussion typically look for an accurate description of the stages, audience members placed in stages with evidence, stage-appropriate strategies, thoughtful attention to how norms move people between stages, use of research and a reasoned decision about where to focus. Posts that stand out show both the usefulness and the limits of the stage model. Graders value specific quotes and respectful descriptions. Sound APA 7 referencing and a focused post help too. Replies gain credit when they help a classmate see a norm influencing their audience or question a stage placement. Showing what moves people between stages earns the most credit.
PHE 340 Module 4 help: the mistakes that cost points
Stages posts in PHE 340 slip when they describe the model without placing real people in it, assume everyone is in precontemplation, offer one message for all stages or ignore the social forces that move people. If your prompt pairs the stage model with a different behavior, such as smoking or physical activity, or asks about motivational interviewing, send it with notes on your audience and the post will apply the model there. Even a few interviews give enough to place people. Our PHE 340 stage posts place each person with evidence and show what moves them. Quotes make placements convincing.
Get PHE 340 Module 4 written to your instructions
Pass along the PHE 340 Module 4 prompt with notes on your audience. The post will place people in stages of change with evidence, match strategies to stages, examine how norms move people between them and decide where to focus, usually written inside two days, and the first one carries no fee. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Southern New Hampshire University document.
More PHE 340 papers and related BS Public Health samples
- PHE 340 Module 1 Discussion: Why a Seat Belt Is a Social Decision
- PHE 340 Module 2 Health Belief Model Short Paper: Susceptibility on a Two-Mile Gravel Trip
- PHE 340 Module 3 Planned Behavior Short Paper: Attitudes, Norms and Control Behind the Wheel
- PHE 330 Module 2 Audience Short Paper: Who Is in the Water and How to Reach Them
- PHE 327 Module 3 Instrument Short Paper: Building a Survey From Tested Questions
- PHE 321 Module 8 Discussion: Closing Reflection on the Ecological View of Disease
- PHE 101 Module 6 Determinants Short Paper: Why the Risk Falls Where It Does
PHE 340 Module 4 questions, answered
Where can I find a free PHE 340 Module 4 Discussion sample?
This page has the full PHE 340 Module 4 post, applying stages of change and social norms to ranchers' seat belt use in Nebraska's Sandhills.
What are the stages of change?
Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance, describing a person's readiness to change a behavior.
Why match interventions to stages of change?
Because people who are not considering change need different messages than those preparing to act or trying to maintain a new habit.
How do social norms affect stages of change?
What people around someone approve of and actually do can move them forward or pull them back between stages.
Is the transtheoretical model enough to design an intervention?
It helps tailor messages, but most interventions also need to address norms, environments and policies.