What is Behavioral diagnosis?
Behavioral diagnosis is the structured process of identifying which specific psychological, social, and environmental factors are preventing a desired behavior. It moves beyond surface-level barriers to pinpoint the root causes of inaction or suboptimal decisions.
How it works
Frameworks like COM-B, the Behavior Change Wheel, or BJ Fogg’s Behavior Model guide the diagnosis by systematically checking whether the barrier is capability (do they know how?), opportunity (does the environment allow it?), or motivation (do they want to?). Without diagnosis, interventions often target the wrong lever: adding information when the real barrier is environmental friction, or increasing motivation when the real barrier is complexity.
Applied example
A public health team trying to increase vaccination rates diagnoses that the barrier is not hesitancy (motivation) but difficulty booking appointments (opportunity). They shift strategy from persuasion campaigns to walk-in clinics and see a 40% uptake increase.
Why it matters
Behavioral diagnosis prevents wasted resources on interventions that address the wrong barrier and provides the evidence base for choosing the right behavior change technique.
