Glossary
Social opportunity
What is social opportunity?
In COM-B, social opportunity includes interpersonal influences and the wider social or cultural context that make a behavior possible or prompt it. It is the social counterpart of physical opportunity.
Example
A teenage boy may want to pursue ballet and have the ability to begin, yet face ridicule from peers. That response could make participation costly. It is a possible social barrier to examine, rather than a lack of interest to assume.
An enabling example
Consider an adult who wants to practice a new language. A welcoming conversation group offers people to practice with, encouragement and an expectation that beginners will make mistakes. Those interpersonal conditions are social opportunity.
Having a room or an internet connection is physical opportunity; knowing enough vocabulary to take part is capability; wanting to attend is motivation. The same activity can require all four, so identifying supportive peers does not remove the need to check the other conditions.
Why it matters
The category directs attention to social cues, expectations, and support. Their importance relative to ability, motivation, or physical access depends on the person and situation.
The original Behaviour Change Wheel paper defines the framework.