Patterns of Change: Dynamic Typology Applied to Smoking Cessation

Abstract
Patterns of change occurring in a combined cross-sectional and longitudinal (cross-sequential) analysis of 14 variables were investigated in a two-year study of self-change approaches to smoking cessation. Every six months for five rounds, subjects (N = 544) were assessed on 10 change processes, self-efficacy, temptations to smoke, and their decisions weighing the pros and cons of smoking. Subjects were also assessed on which of the following four stages of change they were in at each round: precontemplation, contemplation, action and maintenance. Dynamic clustering was employed to group subjects on the basis of their patterns of changes in stages over the five rounds. This yielded 14 profile groups (longitudinal typologies) which initially were compared on the 14 variables. Patterns of change on each of the variables became clear when the data were integrated cross-sectionally and longitudinally to form composite developmental profiles. The basic pattern of change processes can best be represented by a m...

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