Within the stage paradigm of change, which indicator most strongly suggests readiness to change?

• A. The client reports that they have ample social support.
• B. The client is progressing through the stages of change.
• C. The client is losing significant weight.
• D. The client remains compliant with the coach during training sessions.

Answer: (B)

Advancing through the stages of change demonstrates growing readiness to change within the transtheoretical model. This model divides change into stages—precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance—and readiness is shown by shifting from ambivalence or no intention to plan and take action. When a person moves from one stage to the next, it indicates increasing commitment to change and engagement with the change process.

Social support can help make change easier, but it doesn’t by itself confirm readiness. Weight loss is an outcome of behavior change, not a direct measure of whether someone is ready to change. Compliance during training may reflect motivation or external expectations, but it doesn’t necessarily reveal internal progression through the stages of readiness.