Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Applying the Transtheoretical Model of Change to Legacy Planning Decisions

  • Original Research
  • Published:
Small-scale Forestry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Approximately 1.2 million family forest landowners (FFOs) manage nearly 37 million acres of forestland in five New England states. This means that efforts to sustain and conserve forests in the region are contingent upon short- and long-term management decisions of these owners. We applied the transtheoretical model of behavior change to understand which activities and behaviors FFOs have pursued in relation to forest legacy planning. We conducted a regional mail survey of 2500 FFOs across Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York. Findings indicate that the majority of FFOs are preparing for or are currently engaging in beginning-level legacy planning decisions while few are thinking about nor planning for more advanced-level decisions. Findings from three stepwise multiple regression models also provide support for predicting a substantive amount of variance in FFOs’ decisions to engage in beginning-level and conservation-oriented planning decisions.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Armitage CJ, Arden MA (2002) Exploring discontinuity patterns in the transtheoretical model: an application of the theory of planned behaviour. Br J Health Psychol 7(1):89–103

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura A (1977) Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychol Rev 84(2):191–215

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Broderick SH, Hadden KP, Heninger B (1994) The next generation’s forest: Woodland owners’ attitudes toward estate planning and land preservation in Connecticut. Northern J Appl For 11(2):47–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Broussard Allred, S., G. Goff, L. Wetzel, and M. Luo. 2011. Evaluating Peer Impacts of the Master Forest Owner Volunteer Program in New York. Journal of Extension 49(5): Article Number 5RIB3. http://www.joe.org/joe/2011october/rb3.php

  • Butler B (2008) Family forest owners of the United States, 2006. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-27. Newton Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 72 p. Accessed 2 Oct 2019. https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-GTR-27.

  • Butler BJ, Leatherberry EC (2004) Americas family forest owners. J Forest 102(7):4–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Butler BJ, Hewes JH, Dickinson BJ, Andrejczyk K, Butler SM, Markowski-Lindsay M (2016) Family Forest Ownerships of the United States, 2013: findings from the USDA Forest Service’s National Woodland Owner Survey. J Forest 114(6):638–647. https://doi.org/10.5849/jof.15-099

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Butler, B.J., S.M. Butler, J. Caputo, J. Dias, A. Robillard, and E.M. Sass. 2020. Family Forest Ownerships of the United States, 2018: Results from the USDA Forest Service, National Woodland Owner Survey. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-199. Madison, WI: Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 56 p. Accessed September 20, 2020. https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/postprint/NRS-GTR-199/

  • Carifio J, Perla RJ (2007) Ten common misunderstandings, misconceptions, persistent myths and urban legends about Likert scales and Likert response formats and their antidotes. J Soc Sci 3(3):106–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Carbonari JP, DiClemente CC (2000) Using transtheoretical model profiles to differentiate levels of alcohol abstinence success. J Consult Clin Psychol 68(5):810–817

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Catanzaro P, Markowski-Lindsay M, Milman A, Kittredge D (2014) Assisting family forest owners with conservation-based estate planning: a preliminary analysis. J Ext. https://joe.org/joe/2014april/a9.php

  • Côté MA, Gilbert D, Nadeau S (2015) Characterizing the profiles, motivations and behaviour of Quebec’s forest owners. Forest Policy Econ 59:83–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillman DA, Smyth JD, Christian LM (2014) Internet, phone, mail, and mixed-modesurveys: The tailored design method. Wiley, Hoboken

    Google Scholar 

  • Fried TR, Redding CA, Robbins ML, Paiva A, O’Leary JR, Lannone L (2010) Stages of change for the component behaviors of advance care planning. J Am Geriat Soc 58(12):2329–2336

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fried TR, Redding CA, Robbins ML, Paiva A, O’Leary JR, Lannone L (2012) Promoting advance care planning as health behavior change: Development of scales to assess decisional balance, medical and religious beliefs, and processes of change. Patient Educ Couns 86(1):25–32

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Friman M, Huck J, Olsson LE (2017) Transtheoretical model of change during travel behavior interventions: an integrative review. Int J Environ Res Public Health 14(581):1–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Fung HH, Carstensen LL (2006) Goals change when life's fragility is primed: lessons learned from older adults, the September 11 attacks and SARS. Soc Cognition 24(3):248–278

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallup poll (2016) Accessed 20 May 2019. https://news.gallup.com/poll/191651/majority-not.aspx.

  • Gatersleben B, Appleton K (2007) Contemplating cycling to work: attitudes and perceptions in different stages of change. Transp Res Part A Policy Pract 41(3):302–312

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gibbison GA, Johnson CD (2012) Stages of change in physical exercise and social support: an integrated socio-psycho-economic approach. J Appl Sociol 42(3):646–668

    Google Scholar 

  • Gebrehiwot T, van der Veen A (2015) Farmers prone to drought risk: Why some farmers undertake farm-level risk-reduction measures while others not? Environ Manage 55:588–602

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gobster PH, Rickenbach M (2004) Private forestland parcelization and development in Winsconsin’s Northwoods: perceptions of resource-oriented stakeholders. Landsc Urb Plan 69(2–3):165–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gootee RS, Blatner KA, Baumgartner DM, Carroll MS, Weber EP (2010) Choosing what to believe about forests: Differences between professional and non-professional evaluative criteria. Small-Scale Forestry 9(2):137–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Greenberg J, Pyszczynski T, Solomon S (1986) The causes and consequences of a need for self-esteem: a terror management theory. In: Baumeister RF (ed) Public self and private self. Springer, New York, pp 189–212

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Gruver JB, Metcalf AL, Muth AB, Finley JC, Luloff AE (2017) Making decisions about forestland succession: perspectives from Pennsylvania’s private forest landowners. Soc Nat Resour 30(1):47–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamunen K, Appelstrand M, Hujala T, Kurttila M, Sriskandarajah N, Vilkriste L, Westberg L, Tikkanen J (2015) Defining peer-to-peer learning–from an old ‘art of practice’ to a new mode of forest owner extension? J Agric Educ Ext 21(4):293–307

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • He HA, Greenberg S, Huang EM (2010) One size does not fit all: applying the transtheoretical model to energy feedback technology design. In: CHI 2010 Proceedings of the SIGCHI conference on human factors in computing science, pp 927–936

  • Hujala T, Tikkanen J, Hänninen H, Virkkula O (2009) Family forest owners’ perception of decision support. Scand J For Res 24(5):448–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Karppinen H, Berghäll S (2015) Forest owners’ stand improvement decisions: applying the theory of planned behavior. Forest Policy Econ 50:275–284

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kelly MC, Germain RH, Stacey AM (2016) Forest conservation programs and the landowners who prefer them: profiling family forest owners in the New York City watershed. Land Use Policy 50:17–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kilgore MA, Snyder SA, Eryilmaz D, Markowski-Lindsay MA, Butler BJ, Kittredge DB, Catanzaro PF, Hewes JH, Andrejczyk K (2015) Assessing the relationship between different forms of landowner assistance and family forest owner behaviors and intentions. J Forest 113(1):12–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Korhonen K, Hujala T, Kurttila M (2013) Diffusion of voluntary protection among family forest owners: decision process and success factors. Forest Policy Econ 26:82–90

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Knoot TG, Rickenbach M (2014) Forester networks: the intersection of private lands policy and collaborative capacity. Land Use Policy 38:388–396

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lamb R, Joshi MS (2004) Active but not consistent: Dietary behavior and the stages of change model. Psychol Health 19:543–559

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liknes GC, Nelson MD, Butler BJ (2010) Public and private forest ownership in the conterminous United States. Chapter 6. In: Eredics P (ed) Mapping forestry. ESRI Press, Redlands, pp 21–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Littell JH, Girvin H (2002) Stages of change A critique. Behav Mod 26:223–273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Markowski-Lindsay M, Catanzaro P, Bell K, Kittredge D, Markowitz E, Leahy J, Butler B, Milman A, Allred S (2018) In forest and intact: Designating future use of family-forest-owned land. J Forest 116(4):357–366

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Markowski-Lindsay M, Catanzaro P, Milman A, Kittredge D (2016) Understanding family forest land future ownership and use: Exploring conservation bequest motivations. Small-Scale Forestry 15:241–256

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Markowski-Lindsay M, Catanzaro P, Bell K, Kittredge D, Leahy J, Butler B, Sisock M (2017) Estate planning as a forest stewardship tool: a study of family land ownerships in the northeastern US. Forest Policy Econ 83:36–44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mastellos N, Gunn LH, Felix LM, Car J, Majeed A (2014) Transtheoretical model stages of change for dietary and physical exercise modification in weight loss management for overweight and obese adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev

  • Marshall SJ, Biddle SJH (2001) The transtheoretical model of behavior change: a meta- analysis of applications to physical activity and exercise. Ann Behav Med 23(4):229–246. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2304_2

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Medvene LJ, Base M, Patrick R, Wescott J (2007) Advance directives: assessing stage of change and decisional balance in a community-based educational program. J Appl Soc Psychol 37(10):2298–2318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Murray J (2013) Likert data: What to use, parametric or non-parametric? Int J Bus Soc Sci 4(11):258–264

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Neill B, Xiao JJ (2006) Financial fitness quiz findings: Strengths, weaknesses, and disconnects. J Ext 44(1):195–207

    Google Scholar 

  • O’Neill B, Xiao JJ (2012) Financial behaviors before and after the financial crisis: Evidence from an online survey. J Financ Couns Plan 23(1):33–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Norman G (2010) Likert scales, levels of measurement and the “laws” of statistics. Adv Health Sci Educ 15(5):625–632

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parkes SD, Jopson A, Marsden G (2016) Understanding travel behavior change during mega-events: lessons from the London 2012 Games. Transp Res Part A 92:104–119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prochaska JO, DiClimente CC (1983) Stages and processes of self-change of smoking: toward an integrative model of change. J Consult Clin Psychol 51(3):390–395

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Prochaska JA, Wright JA, Velicer WF (2008) Evaluating theories of health behavior change: a hierarchy of criteria applied to the TTM. Appl Psychol 57(4):561–588

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prochaska JO (2009) Flaws in the theory or flaws in the study: A commentary on “The effect of Transtheoretical Model based interventions on smoking cessation.” Soc Sci Med 68(3):404–406

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Quartuch MR, Beckley T (2013) Landowners perceptions of their moral and ethical stewardship responsibilities in New Brunswick, Canada, and Maine, USA. Small-Scale Forestry 12(3):437–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reckwitz A (2002) Toward a theory of social practices: a development in culturalist theorizing. Eur J Soc Theory 5(2):243–263

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rekola EPM (2001) The theory of planned behavior in predicting willingness to pay for abatement of forest regeneration. Soc Nat Resour 14(2):93–106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Riley TA, Toth JM, Fava JL (2000) The transtheoretical model and stress management practices in women at risk for, or infected with, HIV. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care 11(1):67–77

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rowley M, Lown JM, Piercy K (2012) Motivating women to adopt positive financial behaviors. J Financ Couns Plan 23(1):47–62

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt, T.L. and W.H. McWilliams. 2000. Current status and trends of privately owned Northern USA timberlands. In Proceedings of Forest Fragmentation 2000: Sustaining Private Forests in the 21st Century, ed. L.A. DeCoster, 64–72. Alexandria, VA: Sampson Group, Inc.

  • Schnur EL, Allred SB, Kittredge DB (2013) A comparative analysis of conservation awareness among New York and Massachusetts woodland owners. North J Appl For 30(4):175–183

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shockey S, Seiling SB (2004) Moving into action: Application of the transtheoretical model of behavior change to financial education. J Financ Counsel Plan 15(1):41–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Shumway ST, Bagwell DC, Bell MM (2005) Using stages of change and motivational interviewing models to encourage retirement and financial planning. J Retire Plan 8(1):39–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein SM, McRoberts RE, Alig RJ, Nelson MD, Theobald DM, Eley M et al. (2005) Forests on the edge: housing development on America’s private forests. In: Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-636. Portland, Oregon: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station

  • Sudore RL, Schickedanz AD, Landefeld SC, Williams BA, Lindquist K, Pantilat SZ, Schillinger D (2008) Engagement in multiple steps of the advance care planning process: a descriptive study of diverse older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc 56(6):1006–1013

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sutton S (2001) Back to the drawing board? A review of applications of the transtheoretical model to substance use. Addiction 96(1):175–186

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tabachnick BG, Fidell LS (2013) Using multivariate statistics, 6th edn. Pearson, Boston

    Google Scholar 

  • Thigpen CG, Driller BK, Handy SL (2015) Using a stages of change approach to explore opportunities for increasing bicycle commuting. Transp Res Part D 39:44–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Velicer WF, Prochaska JO (2008) Stage and non-stage theories of behavior and behavior change: a comment on Schwarzer. Appl Psychol 57(1):75–83

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Withrow-Robinson, B., S. Allred, C. Landgren, and M. Sisock. 2013. Planning across generations: Helping family landowners maintain their ties to the land. Journal of Extension 51(5): Article 5FEA6. https://joe.org/joe/2013october/a6.php

  • Wilson RS, Hardisty DJ, Espanchin-Niell RS, Runge MC, Cottingham KL, Urban DL, Maguire LA, Hastings A, Mumby PJ, Peters DPC (2015) A typology of time-scale mismatches and behavioral interventions to diagnose and solve conservation problems. Conserv Biol 30(1):42–49

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zaval L, Markowitz EM, Weber EU (2015) How will I be remembered? Conserving the environment for the sake of one’s legacy. Psychol Sci 26(2):231–236

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

Funding for this research was provided by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) under Award Number 2015-68006-23110, University of Massachusetts.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Natural Resources, Center for Conservation Social Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Michael R. Quartuch & Shorna Broussard Allred

  2. Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Masschusetts – Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA

    Ezra Markowitz

  3. Department of Environmental Conservation, Family Forest Research Center, University of Masschusetts – Amherst, Amherst, MA, USA

    Paul Catanzaro & Marla Markowski-Lindsay

  4. Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, Center for Conservation Social Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Shorna Broussard Allred

Authors
  1. Michael R. Quartuch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Shorna Broussard Allred
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ezra Markowitz
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Paul Catanzaro
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Marla Markowski-Lindsay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Michael R. Quartuch.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval

This research project received Institutional Review Board approval as indicated in the IRB Authorization Agreement (IAA) between Cornell University and the University of Massachusetts for the NIFA Land Transfer Project (eProtocol: 2014-2261).

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Study was conducted while Dr. Quartuch was employed as a postdoctoral research associate at Cornell University.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Quartuch, M.R., Broussard Allred, S., Markowitz, E. et al. Applying the Transtheoretical Model of Change to Legacy Planning Decisions. Small-scale Forestry 20, 457–478 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-021-09476-7

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11842-021-09476-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation