| Course | PAC 110 Addiction Theories |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 6 |
| Paper type | Change theory paper |
| Length | About 1,012 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Aspen University |
| Program | Psychology and Addiction Studies |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for PAC 110 Module 6
Not Sure I Want To: Stages, Ambivalence and Motivational Interviewing With a Daily Cannabis User
Student Name
Psychology and Addiction Studies Program, Aspen University
PAC 110: Addiction Theories
Instructor Name
Month Day, Year
Not Sure I Want To: Stages, Ambivalence and Motivational Interviewing With a Daily Cannabis User
Sam is forty, a freelance graphic designer, and he came to Millbrook, the same invented counseling center used throughout these papers, because his wife told him to come or move out. He uses cannabis every evening after his son goes to bed and on most weekend afternoons. In his first session, he said that cannabis helps him unwind, that it is legal in many places now and that his wife worries too much. Near the end of the hour, he added, more quietly, that he sometimes cannot remember conversations with his twelve-year-old and that he has not finished a personal design project in three years. "I'm not sure I want to stop," he said. "I'm not sure I don't." This paper applies theories of change and motivation to Sam's ambivalence. Sam is a composite for teaching, the center is fictional and the research cited is real.
The Stages of Change
Prochaska et al. (1992) proposed that people changing addictive behaviors, with or without treatment, move through a series of stages. In precontemplation, people have no intention to change in the foreseeable future and may not see a problem. In contemplation, they recognize a problem and think seriously about it but have not committed to act; they may remain here a long time, weighing pros and cons. In preparation, they intend to act soon and may have taken small steps. In action, they modify their behavior, and in maintenance they work to prevent relapse and consolidate gains. The authors noted that most people do not move straight through the stages but relapse and recycle, often several times, in a spiral pattern in which each cycle can bring them closer to lasting change.
The model also described processes of change, the activities people use to progress. Earlier stages, the authors found, draw more on experiential processes such as consciousness raising and self-reevaluation, while later stages draw more on behavioral processes such as finding substitutes for the behavior and controlling cues. They argued that helpers should match their interventions to a person's stage.
A Critique
West (2005) argued in an editorial that the stages of change model should be put to rest. He contended that the dividing lines between stages are arbitrary, since they are defined by time frames such as intending to act within the next six months, and that people move between stages quickly and unpredictably. He also argued that the model assumes people make coherent, stable plans, whereas much behavior is driven by moment-to-moment impulses and desires that can override plans. West noted that interventions matched to stages had not consistently outperformed unmatched ones and called for theories that better explain how motivation operates in the moment.
How Motivational Interviewing Works
Miller and Rose (2009) set out a theory of motivational interviewing, a counseling approach for resolving ambivalence about change. They described two components. The relational component is the spirit of the approach: a collaborative, accepting and empathic relationship that honors the client's autonomy. The technical component is the counselor's skill in evoking and reinforcing change talk, what clients themselves say about wanting, being able, having reasons and needing to change, while not reinforcing sustain talk, the statements in favor of the status quo. Research reviewed by the authors found that the amount and strength of clients' change talk in sessions predicted later behavior change, and that counselor behaviors inconsistent with the approach, such as confronting or warning, predicted less change. Motivational interviewing has been found effective across many trials, though its effects vary considerably between counselors.
Reading Sam's Words
| Sam's statement | Stages reading | Motivational interviewing reading |
|---|---|---|
| "It helps me unwind." | Precontemplation or contemplation | Sustain talk; a reason to keep using |
| "My wife worries too much." | Precontemplation | Sustain talk, and a sign of feeling pressured |
| "I can't remember conversations with my son." | Contemplation | Change talk: a reason that matters to him |
| "I haven't finished a project in three years." | Contemplation | Change talk: a loss tied to his values |
| "I'm not sure I want to stop. I'm not sure I don't." | Contemplation | Ambivalence, voiced openly |
| He came only because his wife insisted | Not his own intention | Autonomy needs protecting |
A Plan for the Next Sessions
The stages model, used loosely, suggests that Sam is contemplating change and that information and reflection will help more than an action plan. Motivational interviewing provides the method. In the next session, his counselor would reflect both sides of his ambivalence, emphasizing the change talk: cannabis helps him relax, and it also seems to be costing him time with his son and work he cares about. A conversation about his values, what kind of father and designer he wants to be, would let him explore the gap between those values and his current use. His counselor would also offer information only with permission, for example asking whether Sam would like to hear what is known about daily cannabis use and memory, and then asking what he makes of it. That sequence respects his intelligence and keeps him in charge of the conclusions. If Sam asks about cutting down rather than stopping, the counselor would treat that as a legitimate goal to explore, since a step he chooses is worth more than a goal he rejects. In the second and third sessions, if his change talk grows, they might discuss options such as a trial week without cannabis. Throughout, the counselor would protect his autonomy, acknowledging that the decision is his, and avoid arguing for change, which would likely provoke him to defend cannabis.
Conclusion
Sam is uncertain about change, and both theories help a counselor understand that uncertainty. Prochaska, DiClemente and Norcross describe change as a series of stages, West questions whether stages fit how people actually change and Miller and Rose explain how an empathic relationship and attention to change talk can help people resolve ambivalence. The stages offer a rough map, and motivational interviewing offers a way of walking with Sam, at his pace, toward a decision that is his own.
References
Miller, W. R., & Rose, G. S. (2009). Toward a theory of motivational interviewing. American Psychologist, 64(6), 527-537. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0016830
Prochaska, J. O., DiClemente, C. C., & Norcross, J. C. (1992). In search of how people change: Applications to addictive behaviors. American Psychologist, 47(9), 1102-1114. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.47.9.1102
West, R. (2005). Time for a change: Putting the Transtheoretical (Stages of Change) Model to rest. Addiction, 100(8), 1036-1039. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01139.x
PAC 110 Module 6 instructions, in plain terms
Ambivalence sits at the heart of the sixth module in PAC 110, and the usual task asks you to explain how people move toward change and how a helper can support that movement without pushing. Use the Module 6 directions in your Aspen course as the governing text; the client is invented. Present the stages of change accurately, including the processes. Include a serious critique rather than presenting the model as fact. Explain motivational interviewing as a theory, not just a set of techniques, and report what the evidence shows. Apply the theories to a client's actual words. Plan next steps that follow from the theories, and support each claim with an APA 7 citation. Quote the client where you can, since his words are your evidence.
How this PAC 110 Module 6 example is built
Sam says cannabis helps him unwind and that his wife worries too much, but he also admits he forgets conversations with his son. Prochaska, DiClemente and Norcross's American Psychologist article supplies the five stages, the spiral pattern of relapse and recycling and the processes matched to each stage. West's Addiction editorial argues that the stage boundaries are arbitrary and that the model ignores how impulses and plans interact moment to moment. Miller and Rose's American Psychologist article explains motivational interviewing's relational and technical components and the role of change talk. A six-row table reads Sam's statements through both theories. The plan uses reflective listening and a values conversation in the next three sessions, with a trial week only if he raises it.
Where the marks sit in the PAC 110 Module 6 rubric
In a change theory paper, marks follow accurate explanation, serious engagement with critique and for applying theory to the client's own language. This example presents the stages and processes in full, then gives West's critique its strongest form, which shows critical thinking about a model many students accept uncritically. Miller and Rose's two-component account explains why motivational interviewing works, not only what it does. Reading Sam's statements in the table demonstrates the skill of hearing change talk and sustain talk. The plan uses the stages as a rough guide and motivational interviewing as the method, a reasoned position the paper defends against the evidence, while leaving the decision with Sam.
Common PAC 110 Module 6 mistakes, and how to avoid them
Students often present the stages of change as an established fact and assign clients to stages with confidence. Present the model with its critics. Another weakness is describing motivational interviewing as a list of techniques, such as open questions and reflections, without explaining its underlying theory. Use the client's actual words to show ambivalence; quotations make the analysis concrete. Distinguish change talk from sustain talk. Avoid labeling a client resistant; motivational interviewing treats resistance as a signal about the relationship. Report evidence accurately, including that effects vary across counselors. Finally, plan sessions that respect the client's autonomy, since pressure tends to strengthen the arguments against change. Keep the paper's tone as respectful as the sessions it describes.
Write yours, or have the desk draft it
This paper is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Aspen University document. Read it for the moves, then write your own to the instructions in your classroom. If you want one built to your exact prompt and rubric, the first custom sample is free and arrives in 24 to 48 hours.
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PAC 110 Module 6 questions, answered
What does PAC 110 Module 6 usually ask for?
Aspen's PAC 110 addresses theories of change and motivation in this module, so applying the stages of change and motivational interviewing to an ambivalent client is typical. Review your Module 6 prompt.
What are the stages of change?
Prochaska, DiClemente and Norcross described precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action and maintenance, with relapse and recycling common.
What is the main criticism of the stages of change?
West argued that the boundaries between stages are arbitrary and that the model overlooks how moment-to-moment impulses and plans drive behavior.
Where can I find a free PAC 110 Module 6 sample paper?
Read the whole thing above: stages of change and motivational interviewing applied to a daily cannabis user who is unsure he wants to stop.
How does motivational interviewing work?
Miller and Rose described two components: an empathic, collaborative relationship and the evoking of the client's own change talk, which predicts later change.