What is Prompt hierarchy?
A prompt hierarchy is a structured sequence of increasingly intensive prompts designed to guide behavior, starting with the least intrusive and escalating only when gentler prompts fail. It applies the principle of minimum necessary intervention to behavioral cues.
How it works
A typical hierarchy moves from environmental cues (signage, visual reminders) to social cues (peer modeling, verbal reminders) to direct instructions (specific verbal or written prompts) to physical guidance (hand-over-hand assistance) to forced functions (making alternative behaviors impossible). Each level adds intrusiveness but also effectiveness. The principle is to start at the lowest level that works, preserving autonomy while ensuring the behavior occurs.
Applied example
A hospital hand hygiene program starts with visual reminders (signs), escalates to social prompts (champions who model hand washing), then adds direct prompts (automated voice reminders when entering a patient room), and finally installs forced functions (doors that require hand sanitizer use to open) in high-risk areas.
Why it matters
Prompt hierarchies balance behavioral effectiveness against intrusiveness, ensuring that the least restrictive effective intervention is used and that heavier interventions are reserved for high-stakes situations.
