Which description best defines Maintenance?

Which description best defines Maintenance?

• A. The stage beyond approximately six months of new behavior, focused on consolidation and prevention of relapse.
• B. The stage of initial contemplation.
• C. The stage of preparation to begin behavior change.
• D. The stage of overt behavior change.

Answer: (A)

Maintenance is the stage after you’ve kept a new behavior going for several months, with the goal of stabilizing the change and preventing relapse. At this point the behavior has become part of daily life, and the focus shifts from sticking with the change to safeguarding and reinforcing it over the long term. In the model, this transition typically occurs around the six-month mark, when the emphasis is on consolidation and relapse prevention, not just starting or actively performing the new behavior. In coaching terms, you’d help clients plan for long‑term adherence, anticipate triggers, adjust their environment, and build ongoing coping strategies and support. Descriptions that describe thinking about change, planning to change, or actively changing itself align with earlier stages (contemplation, preparation, or action) rather than maintenance.

Maintenance is the stage after you’ve kept a new behavior going for several months, with the goal of stabilizing the change and preventing relapse. At this point the behavior has become part of daily life, and the focus shifts from sticking with the change to safeguarding and reinforcing it over the long term. In the model, this transition typically occurs around the six-month mark, when the emphasis is on consolidation and relapse prevention, not just starting or actively performing the new behavior. In coaching terms, you’d help clients plan for long‑term adherence, anticipate triggers, adjust their environment, and build ongoing coping strategies and support. Descriptions that describe thinking about change, planning to change, or actively changing itself align with earlier stages (contemplation, preparation, or action) rather than maintenance.