Instructions and Behavior Change: A Taxonomy

Abstract

A brief review is presented of the current heavy emphasis on the management of consequent events (i.e., those occurring after behavior), as opposed to the relative disinterest in antecedent events (i.e., those occurring prior to behavior). A basic taxonomy of instructions which discusses the characteristics of instructions, instructors, and instructees, and factors related to the effects of instructions on instructees is proposed. It is suggested that a field should be developed which is devoted to the investigation of antecedent events and which would be as precise and thorough as research focused on consequent events.