What is COM-B components?
COM-B is a behavioral model stating that behavior (B) results from the interaction of three necessary conditions: Capability (C), Opportunity (O), and Motivation (M). If any component is insufficient, the behavior will not occur, regardless of the others.
How it works
Capability divides into physical (skills, strength, stamina) and psychological (knowledge, memory, attention, decision-making). Opportunity divides into physical (time, resources, environmental access) and social (social norms, interpersonal influences, cultural context). Motivation divides into reflective (conscious plans, intentions, evaluations) and automatic (habits, impulses, emotional reactions). COM-B is the hub of the Behavior Change Wheel and serves as the diagnostic step before selecting interventions.
Applied example
A public health team discovers that while people know they should get a flu shot (psychological capability) and want to (reflective motivation), they do not because the clinic closes before they finish work (physical opportunity). Adding evening clinic hours solves the problem without any persuasion campaign.
Why it matters
COM-B prevents intervention mismatches by requiring diagnosis before prescription: you must identify which component is deficient before choosing a technique, rather than defaulting to information or motivation campaigns.
