Does "apply" apply?
Hi All.
I am preparing a presentation on a theoretical model used to represent behavior change over time. It is a stage-based model of behavior change called the transtheoretical model (TTM) that first appeared in peer-reviewed health journals and textbooks in 1979. (You can read more about it at http://www.prochange.com [EDIT: .com, not .org], where you can find a lay-reader's description of the model, as well as lists of scholarly references.)
The details of the model are irrelevant to this post, however, so it is not necessary to be familiar with the model for the sake of the question I am posting to the group.
My question relates to how to phrase statements meaning, basically "The model was used/found to accurately/validly/reliably represent such-and-such behavior in terms of how people change that behavior over time", and also "The TTM has been found to accurately/validly/reliably represent how people change behaviors over time", and so on. I also want to say that "Interventions for behavior change have been created/developed based on the model for such-and-such behaviors" and I want to say something about the effectiveness of the interventions. ("Reliably" and "validly" refer to findings of actual studies that have been conducted and published in peer-reviewed scholarly journals.)
I also want to talk about specific interventions that were developed to facilitate/assist in behavior change--i.e., movement through the stages. I am trying to differentiate betwene interventions based on the model from behaviors whose change processes are validly/reliably represented/described by the model. In terms of the interventions versus representation, before an intervention can even be developed for a certain behavior, the model must first be shown to represent that particular behavior's change process.
It would be no problem phrasing things this this way, except for the fact that it is far too wordy, convoluted, and complex. I want to convey the same basic idea, but concisely and succinctly, to six people most of whom have never even heard of the TTM. I have a LOT of information to convey in only 10-15 minutes (I could no more difficultly prepare a 30 minute presentation on the same topic). I need to phrase this in a way that takes as litte time as possible, is simple and easy for them to understand, and that actually says exactly what it is I am trying to say.
Now referring back to the basic subject of my message, I want to know, can I use the phrase "The TTM has been applied to such-and-such behavior" or "The TTM has been found to apply to such-and-such behavior" interchangeably with the phrases I quoted above?? Just saying them to myself, it feels off; they don't seem to mean the same thing as I quoted above. Note that I am aware that the phrases "has been applied to" and "has been found/shown toa apply to" mean totally different things. I think that I want to say them both, but I am having a little trouble distinguishing when I want to say one versus the other, probably due to sleep deprivation (it is 2:30am and I have been up since 11am) and stress.
This is quite frustrating not being able to think of a way to boil down what I want to say to a short, simple (i.e., concise, succinct) statement that means EXACTLY what I am trying to say.
Please ask questions and feel free to correct me if anything I have attempted to phrase originally does not quite make sense.
Thanks in advance for help and replies.
Jennifer
I am preparing a presentation on a theoretical model used to represent behavior change over time. It is a stage-based model of behavior change called the transtheoretical model (TTM) that first appeared in peer-reviewed health journals and textbooks in 1979. (You can read more about it at http://www.prochange.com [EDIT: .com, not .org], where you can find a lay-reader's description of the model, as well as lists of scholarly references.)
The details of the model are irrelevant to this post, however, so it is not necessary to be familiar with the model for the sake of the question I am posting to the group.
My question relates to how to phrase statements meaning, basically "The model was used/found to accurately/validly/reliably represent such-and-such behavior in terms of how people change that behavior over time", and also "The TTM has been found to accurately/validly/reliably represent how people change behaviors over time", and so on. I also want to say that "Interventions for behavior change have been created/developed based on the model for such-and-such behaviors" and I want to say something about the effectiveness of the interventions. ("Reliably" and "validly" refer to findings of actual studies that have been conducted and published in peer-reviewed scholarly journals.)
I also want to talk about specific interventions that were developed to facilitate/assist in behavior change--i.e., movement through the stages. I am trying to differentiate betwene interventions based on the model from behaviors whose change processes are validly/reliably represented/described by the model. In terms of the interventions versus representation, before an intervention can even be developed for a certain behavior, the model must first be shown to represent that particular behavior's change process.
It would be no problem phrasing things this this way, except for the fact that it is far too wordy, convoluted, and complex. I want to convey the same basic idea, but concisely and succinctly, to six people most of whom have never even heard of the TTM. I have a LOT of information to convey in only 10-15 minutes (I could no more difficultly prepare a 30 minute presentation on the same topic). I need to phrase this in a way that takes as litte time as possible, is simple and easy for them to understand, and that actually says exactly what it is I am trying to say.
Now referring back to the basic subject of my message, I want to know, can I use the phrase "The TTM has been applied to such-and-such behavior" or "The TTM has been found to apply to such-and-such behavior" interchangeably with the phrases I quoted above?? Just saying them to myself, it feels off; they don't seem to mean the same thing as I quoted above. Note that I am aware that the phrases "has been applied to" and "has been found/shown toa apply to" mean totally different things. I think that I want to say them both, but I am having a little trouble distinguishing when I want to say one versus the other, probably due to sleep deprivation (it is 2:30am and I have been up since 11am) and stress.
This is quite frustrating not being able to think of a way to boil down what I want to say to a short, simple (i.e., concise, succinct) statement that means EXACTLY what I am trying to say.
Please ask questions and feel free to correct me if anything I have attempted to phrase originally does not quite make sense.
Thanks in advance for help and replies.
Jennifer