In motivational interviewing, which concept involves helping the person recognize discrepancies between goals and current behavior?

In motivational interviewing, which concept involves helping the person recognize discrepancies between goals and current behavior?

• A. Clinician preferences
• B. Discrepancies between goals and current behavior
• C. Current health status
• D. Social determinants of health

Answer: (B)

Developing discrepancy is about guiding the person to see the gap between what they say they want for their life or health and what their current behavior actually looks like. This realization helps boost intrinsic motivation because change becomes connected to the person’s own goals and values, not external pressure. In practice, a clinician uses reflective listening and open-ended questions to draw out how changing behavior would align with the client’s values, or what benefits and costs come with staying the same. The aim is to evoke change talk and help the person feel the motivation to change from within. This approach isn’t about the clinician’s preferences, nor is it merely describing health status or focusing on social determinants; those factors can be explored, but the core move in motivational interviewing is making the client aware of the discrepancy between where they want to go and what they’re doing.

Developing discrepancy is about guiding the person to see the gap between what they say they want for their life or health and what their current behavior actually looks like. This realization helps boost intrinsic motivation because change becomes connected to the person’s own goals and values, not external pressure. In practice, a clinician uses reflective listening and open-ended questions to draw out how changing behavior would align with the client’s values, or what benefits and costs come with staying the same. The aim is to evoke change talk and help the person feel the motivation to change from within. This approach isn’t about the clinician’s preferences, nor is it merely describing health status or focusing on social determinants; those factors can be explored, but the core move in motivational interviewing is making the client aware of the discrepancy between where they want to go and what they’re doing.