One Size Does Not Fit All: Applying the Transtheoretical Model to Energy Feedback Technology

The intention of the paper is provide a model that can help in building Energy Feedback Technologies that can motivate people to develop a more sustainable energy behaviour.
The Transtheoretical Model is a process of change of human being from the psychological perspective. The model has the following 5 stages and a person should be motivated differently according to the stage of change she is at:
Pre-contemplation: At this stage a person is unaware of the situation and unwilling to change their behaviour to accommodate the situation. The paper recommends that at this stage benefits of energy sustainable behaviours should be highlighted according to personal preferences. Another recommendation is presenting it with relevance to social norms,  e.g 85 % people of the neighbourhood recycle.
Contemplation: At this stage people are aware, but not active in participation. Therefore, by providing the pros of sustainable behaviour with regards to the benefit to the individual can motivate him to be active. For e.g, by walking to the office you can loose weight. Moreover, tell them the environmental impact of their inactive behaviour. Provide encouragement to every little sustainable action performed, and show the environmental impact. For e.g By switching off the monitors last night, these many trees were saved. Provide means to get further information on energy saving and impact.
Preparation: At this stage people are ready to incorporate the change in their lives, however, need a gradual plan to achieve sustainable energy consumption. Therefore, provide choices of goals to commit to and make them difficult as they progress. Provide means to connect to real energy mentors.
Action: At this stage people are active and can relapse--reinforcement of motivation is required to stay on track. Therefore, positive performance feedback should be provided immediately. Feedback should be personalized, that is, a person who seeks monitory benefits from the energy savings, should be shown how much he saved.
Maintenance: People at this stage seldom fall into relapse and have developed a norm of performing energy saving actions. Therefore, feedback should become less and people at this stage should be asked to become energy saving mentors. There should be independent ways of keeping track of ones goals and viewing them in various ways(Graphs) and provide means to keep a journal.

My View: I feel that this paper was very interesting, however, as said in the conclusion of the paper that people don't fall in exactly one stage at a time and they may not be sequential. However, it does give us an insight into different levels of acceptance to change by people and how to motivate them towards that change.