University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale (URICA) – Psychotherapy Version

Abstract

The University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale (URICA), specifically the Psychotherapy Version, is a widely utilized psychometric instrument designed to measure an individual’s readiness or motivation to change problematic behaviors or symptoms. Developed based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of intentional behavior change, the URICA assesses where a client stands across the four core stages of change: Precontemplation, Contemplation, Action, and Maintenance. This 32-item scale helps clinicians tailor interventions in psychotherapy by providing a quantitative snapshot of the client’s motivational status, thereby enhancing treatment efficacy and reducing dropout rates.

Keywords

URICA, Transtheoretical Model, TTM, Readiness to Change, Stages of Change, Psychometric Assessment, Precontemplation, Contemplation, Action, Maintenance, Psychotherapy, Motivation.

Authors

Evelyn A. McConnaughy, James O. Prochaska, Wayne F. Velicer, Carlo C. DiClemente.

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Purpose

The primary purpose of the URICA is to provide a standardized, reliable, and valid measure of an individual’s movement through the stages of change inherent in the process of resolving a psychological or behavioral problem. It is designed for use in clinical settings, particularly within psychotherapy, addiction treatment, and health behavior modification programs. By identifying the client’s predominant stage, therapists can select stage-appropriate interventions, maximizing client engagement and therapeutic outcome.

The scale offers a practical framework for assessing motivation, which is often a critical predictor of treatment success. Unlike measures that only assess symptom severity, the URICA focuses on the client’s internal readiness to engage in the work necessary for change.

Construct

The URICA measures the core dimensions of the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), which posits that behavioral change occurs over time through a sequence of specific stages. The scale contains subscales corresponding to four main stages of change:

• Precontemplation: Characterized by no intention to change behavior in the foreseeable future (typically defined as the next six months). Individuals often deny having a problem.
• Contemplation: Individuals are aware a problem exists and are seriously considering change, but have not yet committed to action. This stage is often marked by ambivalence.
• Action: Individuals modify their behavior, experiences, or environment in order to overcome their problems. This requires significant commitment of time and energy.
• Maintenance: Individuals work to prevent relapse and consolidate the gains achieved during the Action stage.

Validity

The URICA demonstrates strong construct validity, consistently showing that scores on the four subscales correlate appropriately with theoretical predictions of the TTM. Studies across diverse clinical populations, including those seeking treatment for substance abuse, eating disorders, and general psychological distress, have confirmed that the scale effectively differentiates between individuals at different levels of change readiness.

Research, such as that conducted by McConnaughy and colleagues (1983, 1989), has established the scale’s ability to predict engagement and movement through therapy. The pattern of scores (e.g., high Contemplation scores moving toward high Action scores over time) provides evidence of criterion validity, confirming that the URICA measures progression along the therapeutic journey.

Reliability

The internal consistency reliability of the URICA subscales is generally robust across various samples and studies, indicating that the items within each stage subscale are cohesive. The original research and subsequent validation studies consistently report acceptable to strong Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients for the four factors.

Specific reliability coefficients reported in the literature include:

• Grencavage et al. (2001): Precontemplation (.80); Contemplation (.67); Action (.83); Maintenance (.86).
• Pantalon et al. (2002): Precontemplation (.75); Contemplation (.79); Action (.83); Maintenance (.78).

These results confirm the reliability of the scale for use in clinical research and practice, particularly highlighting the high internal consistency of the Precontemplation, Action, and Maintenance subscales.

Factor Analysis

Factor analytic studies of the URICA confirm its theoretical structure, typically yielding four distinct factors that align precisely with the four stages derived from the Transtheoretical Model. These factors—Precontemplation, Contemplation, Action, and Maintenance—are generally found to be orthogonal or obliquely related, reflecting the complex, non-linear nature of the change process.

The consistent factor structure across different populations (e.g., general psychotherapy clients, substance users, batterers) supports the generalizability of the URICA as a measure of motivational readiness, reinforcing its utility across various behavioral health domains.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report psychometric scale.

Format: 32 items measured on a 5-point Likert scale.

Language Available: Primarily English, with translations available and validated in numerous other languages worldwide.

Population Group: Individuals seeking assistance or treatment for behavioral, psychological, or addictive problems.

Age Group: Typically utilized with adolescents and adults.

Population Details: Has been widely validated in general psychotherapy samples, substance abuse treatment populations, batterer intervention programs, and health promotion settings.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their level of agreement with each statement using the following response format:

1. Strongly Disagree
2. Disagree
3. Undecided
4. Agree
5. Strongly Agree

Keywords

Motivation Assessment, Behavioral Change, Clinical Psychology, Addiction Treatment, TTM Stages, Psychological Measurement, Readiness Scale, URICA 32.

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Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not provided in source material.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not provided in source material.

Correspondence Address: Information regarding the instrument can often be obtained via the Transtheoretical Model developers or associated research labs, such as the one noted below.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 1983 (based on initial publication).

Permissions and Fees: Information on specific permissions, licensing fees, and current usage agreements must be obtained directly from the authors or the institution managing the scale’s distribution. The instrument can be found at the following archival link: http://habitslab.umbc.edu/urica/

Reference’s

• McConnaughy‚ E. A.‚ Prochaska‚ J. O.‚ & Velicer‚ W. F. (1983). Stages of change in psychotherapy: Measurement and sample profiles. Psychotherapy: Theory‚ Research‚ and Practice‚ 20‚ 368-375.
• McConnaughy‚ E. A.‚ DiClemente‚ C. C.‚ Prochaska‚ J. O.‚ & Velicer‚ W. F. (1989). Stages of change in psychotherapy: A follow-up report. Psychotherapy‚ 26(4)‚ 494-503.
• Carbonari‚ J.P.‚ DiClemente‚ C.C.‚ and Zweben‚ A. (1994‚ November). A readiness to change measure. Paper presented at the meeting of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies‚ San Diego‚ CA.
• Carney‚ M.M. and Kivlahan‚ D.R. (1995). Motivational subtypes among veterans seeking substance abuse treatment: Profiles based on stages of change. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors‚ 9‚ 135-142.
• Levesque‚ D.A.‚ Gelles‚ R.J.‚ & Velicer‚ W.F. (2000). Development and validation of a stages of change measure for men in batterer treatment. Cognitive Therapy and Research‚ 24(2)‚ 175-199.
• DiClemente‚ C.C.‚ Schlundt‚ D.‚ & Gemmell‚ L. (2004). Readiness and stages of change in addiction treatment. American Journal on Addictions‚ 13(2)‚ 103-119.
• DiClemente‚ C.C. (2005). Conceptual models and applied research: The ongoing contribution of the Transtheoretical Model. Journal of Addictions Nursing‚ 16(1&2)‚ 5-12.

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Items of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale (URICA) – Psychotherapy Version

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. As far as I’m concerned‚ I don’t have any problems that need changing.
2. I think I might be ready for some self-improvement.
3. I am doing something about the problems that had been bothering me.
4. It might be worthwhile to work on my problem.
5. I’m not the problem one. It doesn’t make much sense for me to be here.
6. It worries me that I might slip back on a problem I have already changed‚ so I am here to seek help.
7. I am finally doing some work on my problems.
8. I’ve been thinking that I might want to change something about myself.
9. I have been successful in working on my problem but I’m not sure I can keep up the effort on my own.
10. At times my problem is difficult‚ but I’m working on it.
11. Trying to change is pretty much a waste of time for me because the problem doesn’t have to do with me.
12. I’m hoping this place will help me to better understand myself.
13. I guess I have faults‚ but there’s nothing that I really need to change.
14. I am really working hard to change.
15. I have a problem and I really think I should work on it.
16. I’m not following though with what I had already changed as well as I had hoped‚ and I’m here to prevent a relapse of the problem.
17. Even though I’m not always successful in changing‚ I am at least working on my problem.
18. I thought once I had resolved the problem I would be free of it‚ but sometimes I still find myself struggling with it.
19. I wish I had more ideas on how to solve my problem.
20. I have started working on my problems but I would like help.
21. Maybe this place will be able to help me.
22. I may need a boost right now to help me maintain the changes I’ve already made.
23. I may be part of the problem‚ but I don’t really think I am.
24. I hope that someone here will have some good advice for me.
25. Anyone can talk about changing; I’m actually doing something about it.
26. All this talk about psychology is boring. Why can’t people just forget about their problems?
27. I’m here to prevent myself from ha‎ving a relapse of my problem.
28. It is frustrating‚ but I feel I might be ha‎ving a recurrence of a problem I thought I had resolved.
29. I have worries but so does the next person. Why spend time thinking about them?
30. I am actively working on my problem.
31. I would rather cope with my faults than try to change them.
32. After all I had done to try and change my problem‚ every now and then it comes back to haunt me.