▁death s ▁Category : P ul itzer ▁Prize ▁for ▁Public ▁Service ▁w inners ▁Category : Har vard ▁Law ▁School ▁al umn i ▁Category : Associ ated ▁Press ▁people ▁Category : St an ford ▁University ▁al umn i <0x0A> </s> ▁Be hav iour al ▁change ▁theories ▁are ▁attempts ▁to ▁explain ▁why ▁behav i ours ▁change . ▁These ▁theories ▁c ite ▁environmental , ▁personal , ▁and ▁behaviour al ▁characteristics ▁as ▁the ▁major ▁factors ▁in ▁behaviour al ▁determ ination . ▁In ▁recent ▁years , ▁there ▁has ▁been ▁increased ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁application ▁of ▁these ▁theories ▁in ▁the ▁areas ▁of ▁health , ▁education , ▁cr imin ology , ▁energy ▁and ▁international ▁development ▁with ▁the ▁hope ▁that ▁understanding ▁behaviour al ▁change ▁will ▁improve ▁the ▁services ▁offered ▁in ▁these ▁areas . ▁Some ▁sch ol ars ▁have ▁recently ▁introduced ▁a ▁distinction ▁between ▁models ▁of ▁behavior ▁and ▁theories ▁of ▁change . ▁Where as ▁models ▁of ▁behavior ▁are ▁more ▁di agnostic ▁and ▁ge ared ▁towards ▁understanding ▁the ▁psych ological ▁factors ▁that ▁explain ▁or ▁predict ▁a ▁specific ▁behavior , ▁theories ▁of ▁change ▁are ▁more ▁process - orient ed ▁and ▁generally ▁aim ed ▁at ▁changing ▁a ▁given ▁behavior . ▁Thus , ▁from ▁this ▁perspective , ▁understanding ▁and ▁changing ▁behavior ▁are ▁two ▁separate ▁but ▁complement ary ▁lines ▁of ▁scientific ▁investigation . ▁ ▁General ▁theories ▁and ▁models ▁Each ▁behaviour al ▁change ▁theory ▁or ▁model ▁focus es ▁on ▁different ▁factors ▁in ▁attempting ▁to ▁explain ▁behaviour ▁change . ▁Of ▁the ▁many ▁that ▁exist , ▁the ▁most ▁pre val ent ▁are ▁learning ▁theories , ▁social ▁cogn itive ▁theory ,