An ontology-based modelling system (OBMS) for representing behaviour change theories applied to 76 theories
Creators: name: Hale, Joanna
name: Hastings, Janna
name: West, Robert
name: Lefevre, Carmen
name: Direito, Artur
name: Connell Bohlen, Lauren
name: Godinho, Cristina
name: Anderson, Niall
name: Zink, Silje
name: Groarke, Hilary
name: Michie, Susan
Publisher: name: Open Science Framework
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: Physical Sciences and Mathematics
subject: Computer Sciences
subject: Social and Behavioral Sciences
subject: Psychology
subject: FOS: Psychology
subject: behaviour
subject: behaviour change
subject: database
subject: modelling
subject: ontology
subject: theoretical synthesis
subject: theory

description: To make theories more useable and useful, we need a method for accurately representing them that can identify ambiguities and allow comparisons in terms of content, scope, and predictions. Such a method would enable theory integration and development by making propositions within existing theories more easily discoverable, and facilitate the testing (including falsification) of propositions by making them more precise. More precise and accurate theory representations may also enhance the selection and application of theories when developing and evaluating interventions for real-world problems. Several methodologies have been developed to improve openness, precision and rigour in the cycle of psychological theory development (e.g. Borsboom et al., 2020; Forstmann et al., 2011; Guest &amp; Martin, 2020; Haslbeck et al., 2019; van Rooij &amp; Baggio, 2020). These methodologies agree that theories should be formally specified in unambiguous terms, for example as a set of equations or computational model. A systematic method capable of formally representing any kind of theory proposition in a way that can be consistently interpreted whether read verbally, computationally or diagrammatically can improve theory development and synthesis. An additional advantage of such a system is that theories can be made ‘computer-readable’ to enable searching and other computer-assisted operations. One such method, termed an ‘ontology-based modelling system’ (OBMS) has been developed to enable systematic and precise theory representation (West et al., 2019). The OBMS is a system for modelling theories of behaviour and behaviour change, using a formal representation of the constructs within theories and the ways in which constructs may relate to or interact with each other. Ontologies are formal representations of entities and relations in a given domain, in which each entity is assigned an unambiguous label and a clear definition. The OBMS is not an ontology (as ontologies typically seek to represent knowledge about the world, rather than theories about it) but uses an equivalent modelling system to that used in ontologies to express theories formally as a set of construct-relationship-construct triples, such as "intention-influences-behaviour" or "anxiety-is correlated with-performance". The OBMS also provides a system for graphically representing different types of triples, which allows a given theory to be represented as a diagram that fully specifies all the proposed relationships among its constructs in an unambiguous format. The viability of the OBMS was demonstrated by West et al. (2019) by successfully capturing the propositions of five commonly used behaviour change theories (Painter et al., 2008; Prestwich et al., 2014): the Health Belief Model (HBM; Rosenstock, 1974), the Information-Motivation-Behavioural Skill Model (Fisher &amp; Fisher, 1992), Social Cognitive Theory (Bandura, 1986), the Theory of Planned Behaviour (Ajzen, 1991), and the Transtheoretical Model (DiClemente et al., 1991). 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 Bandura, A. (1986). Social foundation of thought and action: A social-cognitive view. Englewood Cliffs. Borsboom, D., van der Maas, H., Dalege, J., Kievit, R., &amp; Haig, B. (2020). Theory Construction Methodology: A practical framework for theory formation in psychology [Preprint]. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/w5tp8 DiClemente, C. C., Prochaska, J. O., Fairhurst, S. K., Velicer, W. F., Velasquez, M. M., &amp; Rossi, J. S. (1991). The process of smoking cessation: An analysis of precontemplation, contemplation, and preparation stages of change. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59(2), 295–304. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006x.59.2.295 Fisher, J. D., &amp; Fisher, W. A. (1992). Changing AIDS-risk behavior. Psychological Bulletin, 111(3), 455–474. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.111.3.455 Forstmann, B. U., Wagenmakers, E.-J., Eichele, T., Brown, S., &amp; Serences, J. T. (2011). Reciprocal relations between cognitive neuroscience and formal cognitive models: Opposites attract? Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 15(6), 272–279. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2011.04.002 Guest, O., &amp; Martin, A. E. (2020). How computational modeling can force theory building in psychological science. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/rybh9 Haslbeck, J. M. B., Ryan, O., Robinaugh, D., Waldorp, L., &amp; Borsboom, D. (2019). Modeling Psychopathology: From Data Models to Formal Theories [Preprint]. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/jgm7f Painter, J. E., Borba, C. P. C., Hynes, M., Mays, D., &amp; Glanz, K. (2008). The Use of Theory in Health Behavior Research from 2000 to 2005: A Systematic Review. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 35(3), 358–362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-008-9042-y Prestwich, A., Sniehotta, F. F., Whittington, C., Dombrowski, S. U., Rogers, L., &amp; Michie, S. (2014). Does theory influence the effectiveness of health behavior interventions? Meta-analysis. Health Psychology: Official Journal of the Division of Health Psychology, American Psychological Association, 33(5), 465–474. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0032853 Rosenstock, I. M. (1974). The Health Belief Model and Preventive Health Behavior. Health Education Monographs, 2(4), 354–386. https://doi.org/10.1177/109019817400200405 van Rooij, I., &amp; Baggio, G. (2020). Theory before the test: How to build high-verisimilitude explanatory theories in psychological science [Preprint]. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/7qbpr West, R., Godinho, C. A., Bohlen, L. C., Carey, R. N., Hastings, J., Lefevre, C. E., &amp; Michie, S. (2019). Development of a formal system for representing behaviour-change theories. Nature Human Behaviour, 3(5), 526–536. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-019-0561-2