Which of the following stages signifies the maintenance of a behavior change?

The correct answer signifies the period in the behavior change process where individuals work to sustain a new behavior over time. During the maintenance stage, individuals have successfully modified their behavior and are focused on preventing relapse. This stage occurs after the action phase when an individual has actively made a change for at least six months.

In the maintenance phase, strategies are employed to reinforce the new behavior, allowing individuals to integrate it into their daily lives. This might involve ongoing support, setting new goals, or identifying triggers for relapse. The goal during this stage is to solidify these changes as part of one’s lifestyle, ensuring long-term success and stability in the new behavior.

In contrast, the other stages represent different aspects of the behavior change process. The termination stage refers to a point where individuals have no desire to return to their old behavior and feel confident in their ability to maintain the change indefinitely. The action stage is characterized by actively implementing the behavior change but is much less stable than the maintenance stage. The preparation stage precedes action and involves planning and getting ready to make a change. Each of these stages plays a unique role, but the focus of maintenance is specifically on the ongoing commitment to the behavior change achieved.