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What Are Behavioral Barriers?

A behavioral barrier stands in the way of changing a certain behavior or a pattern of behaviors. When a person decides to change a specific behavior it is beneficial to identify what psychological barriers may be in place preventing him from changing. Overcoming behavioral barriers is a difficult process and requires commitment from the person seeking the change.

  1. Examples

    • The most common type of behavioral barrier comes when a person is trying to alter a bad habit. One example of when a person might expect to encounter a behavioral barrier would be when they are trying to shake an addiction, such as smoking, drinking alcohol or drugs. A person who is trying to lose weight might encounter behavioral barriers when going on a diet or starting a new exercise program.

    Admission

    • A person trying to overcome a behavioral barrier needs to admit it exists. Some people deny the need to change, which creates a lack of motivation. Some people hide certain behaviors as a way to trivialize their problem. When a person trivializes the problem they are avoiding the issue, which is detrimental to them making any long-lasting changes.

    Solution

    • After a person identifies possible behavioral barriers he must work towards a way to overcome them. It is important to look at resources available to the person who is seeking to change a particular behavior. For instance, if he would like to stop smoking he should look at smoking cessation programs and which might work best for him. Education is a key component to addressing behavioral changes and the more knowledge a person has about a situation the better able he is to handle it.

    Considerations

    • Behavioral barriers are not always something that can be easily controlled by the person experiencing them. In some situations a person may need to seek medical intervention to help him overcome behavioral barriers. For instance, in a case where a person is experiencing health related problems in conjunction with the negative behavior, there may be an underlying health reason that needs to be addressed. When genetics are involved a person may struggle more to change, but can be just as successful.

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