Table 1 Domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF)

Knowledge

Knowledge

Knowledge of a condition or scientific rationale.

Procedural knowledge

Knowing how to do something.

Knowledge of task environment

Knowledge of the social and material context in which a task is undertaken.

Skills

Skills

An ability or proficiency acquired through practice.

Skills development

The gradual acquisition or advancement through progressive stages of an ability or proficiency acquired through training and practice.

Competence

One’s repertoire of skills and ability especially as it is applied to a task or set of tasks.

Ability

Competence or capacity to perform a physical or mental act. Ability may be either learned or unlearned.

Interpersonal skills

An aptitude enabling a person to carry on effective relationships with others, such as ability to cooperate, to assume appropriate relationships with others or to exhibit adequate flexibility.

Practice

Repetition of an act, behaviour or series of activities, often to improve performance or acquire a skill.

Social influences

Social pressure

The exertion of influence on a person or person or group by another person or group.

Social norms

Socially determined consensual standards that indicate what behaviours are considered typical in a given context and what behaviours are considered proper in the context.

Group conformity

The act of consciously maintaining a certain degree of similarity to those in your general social circle.

Social comparisons

The process by which people evaluate their attitudes, abilities, or performance relative to others.

Group norms

Any behaviour, belief, attitude or emotion reaction held to be correct by any given group in society.

Social support

The apperception or provision of assistance or comfort to others, typically in order to help them to cope with a variety of biological, psychological or social stressors. Support may arise from interpersonal relationships in an individual’s social network, involving friends, neighbours, religious institutions, colleagues, caregivers or support groups.

Power

The capacity to influence others, even when they try to resist this influence.

Intergroup conflict

Disagreement or confrontation between two or more groups and their members. This may involve physical violence, interpersonal discord, or psychological tension.

Alienation

Estrangement from one’s social group; a deep seated sense of dissatisfaction with one’s personal experiences that can be a source of lack of trust in one’s social or physical environment or in oneself; the feeling of separation between one’s thoughts and feelings.

Group identity

The set of behaviour or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognisable (and portrays) as a member of a group.

Modelling

In developmental psychology, the process by which one or more individuals or other entities serve as examples (models) that a child will copy.

Social/ professional role and identity

Professional identity

The characteristics by which an individual is recognised relating to, or connected with, or benefitting, a particular profession.

Professional role

The behaviour considered appropriate for a particular kind of work or social position.

Social identity

The set of behaviours or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognisable [and portrays] as a member of a social group, relating to, or connected with or benefitting a particular profession

Identity

An individual’s sense of self defined by (a) a set of physical and psychological characteristics that is not wholly shared with any other person and (b) a range of social and interpersonal affiliations (e.g. social roles).

Professional boundaries

The bounds or limits relating to, or connected with, a particular profession or calling.

Professional confidence

An individual’s beliefs in his or her repertoire of skills and ability as it is applied to tasks or set of tasks.

Group identity

The set of behaviours or personal characteristics by which an individual is recognisable [and portrays] as a member of a group.

Leadership

The process involved in leading others, including organising directing, coordinating and motivating their efforts toward achievement of certain group or organisational goals.

Beliefs about consequences

Beliefs

The thing one believed in, the proposition or set of propositions held true.

Outcome expectancies

Cognitive, emotional, behavioural and affective outcomes that are assumed to be associated with future or intended behaviours. These assumed outcomes can either promote or inhibit future behaviour.

Characteristics of outcome expectancies

Characteristics of the cognitive, emotional and behavioural outcomes that individuals believe are associated with future or intended behaviours and that are either believed to promote or inhibit these behaviours. These include whether they are sanctions/rewards, proximal/distal, valued/not valued, probable/improbable, salient/not salient, perceived risks or threats.

Reinforcement

Anticipated regret

A sense of the negative consequences of a decision that influences the choice made; for example, an individual may decide not to make an investment because of the feelings associated with an imagined loss.

Consequence

An outcome of behaviour in a given situation.

Rewards

Return or recompense, made to or received by a person contingent on some purpose.

Incentives

An external stimulus, such as a condition or object that enhances or serves as a motive for behaviour.

Punishment

The process in which a relationship between a response and some stimulus or circumstance results in the response becoming less probable; a painful, unwanted or undesired event or circumstance imposed on a wrong doer.

Consequents

An outcome of behaviour in a given situation.

Reinforcement

A process in which the frequency of a response is increased by a dependent relationship or contingency with a stimulus.

Contingencies

A conditional probabilistic relation between two events. Contingencies may be arranged via dependencies or they emerge by accident.

Sanctions

A punishment or other coercive measure, usually administered by a recognised authority, that is used to penalise and deter inappropriate or unauthorised actions

Intentions

Stability of intentions

Ability of one’s resolve to remain in spite of disturbing influences.

Stages of change model

A model that proposes that behaviour change is accomplished through five specific stages:- pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance.

Trans-theoretical model and stages of change

A five-stage theory to explain changes in people’s health behaviour. It suggests that change takes time, that different interventions are effective at different stages, and that there are multiple outcomes occurring across different stages.

Goals

Goals (distal/proximal)

Desired state of affairs of a person or system; these may be closer (proximal) or further away (distal).

Goal priority

Order of importance or urgency of end states toward which one is striving.

Goal/target setting

A process that establishes specific time based behaviour targets that are measurable, achievable and realistic.

Goals (autonomous/controlled)

The end state towards which one is striving: the purpose of an activity or endeavour. It can be observed by observing that a person ceases or changes its behaviour upon attaining this state; proficiency in a task to be achieved within a set period of time.

Action planning

The action or process of forming a plan regarding a thing to be done or a deed.

Implementation intention

The plan that creates in advance of when, where and how one will enact a behaviour.

Environmental context and resources

Environmental stressors

External factors in the environment that cause stress.

Resources material resources

Commodities and human resources used in enacting behaviour.

Organisational culture/climate

A distinctive pattern of thought and behaviour shared by members of the same organisation and reflected in their language, values, attitudes, beliefs and customs.

Salient events/critical incidents

Occurrences that one judges to be distinctive, prominent or otherwise significant.

Person–environment interaction

Interplay between an individual and their surroundings.

Barriers and facilitators

In psychological contexts barriers/facilitators are mental, emotional or behavioural limitations/strengths in individuals or groups.

Behaviour regulation

Self-monitoring

A method used in behaviour management in which individuals keep a record of their behaviour, especially in connection with efforts to change or regulate the self; a personality trait reflecting an ability to modify one’s behaviour in response to a situation.

Breaking habit

To discontinue a behaviour or sequence of behaviours that is automatically activated by relevant situational cues.

Action planning

The action or forming of a plan regarding a thing to be done or a deed.