URICA Assessment

What is the URICA Assessment?

The University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) scale, or URICA Assessment, is a 32-item self-assessment tool designed to measure an individual's readiness to change specific behaviors. Rooted in the transtheoretical model (TTM) of behavior change, the URICA assesses an individual's current stage in the change process, which is helpful in therapeutic and counseling contexts. This model outlines a sequence of stages people typically experience when modifying behaviors.

Initially, the URICA aimed to assess five stages: Pre-contemplation, Contemplation, Determination, Action/Active Change, and Maintenance. However, after further study, it was found that the Determination stage did not reliably load as a factor, so it was removed from the final measure (McConnaughy, 1981). Currently, the URICA assesses four stages:

1. Pre-contemplation (PC): The individual is not considering change and may not recognize a need for it.
2. Contemplation (C): The person is aware of the need for change and may be thinking about it but is not yet ready to commit.
3. Action/Active Change (A): Active steps are being taken to change the behavior.
4. Maintenance (M): The individual is struggling to maintain the behavior change and may find it challenging to uphold their new behavior consistently.

Widely used as a research tool, the URICA scale asks individuals to respond to statements that reflect common attitudes or feelings they may experience when beginning therapy or addressing personal challenges. Responses indicate the degree to which each statement applies to the individual at this moment rather than in the past or as they would like to feel.

When completing the URICA, individuals answer in terms of a specific “problem” identified in a designated text field. Any references to “here” pertain to the current place of treatment or the program they are engaged with.

How to use our URICA Assessment template

Our URICA Assessment template includes the 32-item original version first developed by McConnaugh (1981) for her University of Rhode Island master thesis. It was later refined by  McConnaugh and colleagues in 1983.

Here's how to use the template:

Step 1: Download the URICA scale

Click "Use template" to access the URICA Assessment via the Carepatron app, allowing you to customize fields for your research needs. For a print copy you can distribute to your respondents, simply choose "Download."

Step 2: Define the focus of change

Instruct your respondents to identify a specific “problem” or behavior they want to address. They should enter this in the designated “Problem” field within the template, ensuring that their responses reflect this area of focus.

Step 3: Provide further instructions

Remind respondents to rate each statement based on their current feelings, not past experiences or future expectations. Explain that they will use a Likert scale to indicate how much they agree or disagree with each statement, providing insight into their present stage of readiness to change.

Step 4: Administer and collect responses

If using the URICA in a research setting, distribute the printed forms or provide access through the Carepatron app, then collect responses at a scheduled time. In a client session, guide the respondent through the statements, offering clarification as needed.

Scoring

The URICA scoring method provides two ways for you to interpret results and manage any response bias: Profile Scoring and the Readiness Score (HABITS Lab, 2019b).

Readiness Score

To calculate the readiness for change score, start by averaging the scores across each stage—Pre-contemplation, Contemplation, Action/Active Change, and Maintenance. When doing this, be sure to exclude items 4, 9, 20, and 31 from your calculations, as they are not included in the Readiness Score.

First, find the mean for each subscale or stage. Then, subtract the Pre-contemplation mean from the combined means of Contemplation, Action/Active Change, and Maintenance. The formula is:

Readiness Score (RS) = (C_Mean + A_Mean + M_Mean) − PC_Mean

You can also set cut-off subscale scores for the Readiness Score based on the characteristics of your population and desired level of conservativeness. Currently, there aren’t standardized norms to define high, medium, or low cut-off scores for each stage. Remember, the subscales are continuous measures rather than discrete categories (McConnaughy et al., 1983).

Profile Scoring

In Profile Scoring, you’ll calculate total scores across the four stages: Pre-contemplation, Contemplation, Action/Active Change, and Maintenance for cluster analyses. Profile Scoring lets you categorize individuals into specific readiness profiles, which can vary across studies and different populations. You may want to conduct a cluster analysis to identify relevant profiles in your specific sample, as the number of distinct profiles often varies based on who you’re studying.

URICA Assessment versions

The URICA Assessment has various other versions tailored for specific contexts, including alcohol, drug use, reduced drinking, and psychotherapy. Each version assesses an individual’s readiness to change behaviors related to these areas and varies in item count and purpose (HABITS Lab, 2019a):

Alcohol version

The original alcohol version of the URICA contains 32 items, though only 28 are used for scoring due to some items not performing well. Additionally, two 12-item forms, Forms A and B, create a shorter 24-item version for repeated assessments, such as at different study stages.

Drug version

The URICA drug version follows a similar structure to the alcohol version, with an initial 32 items but only 28 scored. A shorter 24-item version is also available, with both versions assessing readiness for change in the context of drug use. A Spanish translation of the 32-item Drug URICA is also available.

Reduced drinking (DELTA Project)

Created specifically for the DELTA Project, this 12-item version of the URICA assesses readiness for reduced drinking rather than full abstinence. It is targeted at individuals with alcohol-related issues admitted to trauma centers and is focused on harm reduction.

References

HABITS Lab (2019a). URICA. University of Maryland Baltimore County. https://habitslab.umbc.edu/urica/

HABITS Lab ( 2019b). URICA – readiness score - HABITS Lab - UMBC. University of Maryland Baltimore County.  https://habitslab.umbc.edu/urica-readiness-score/

McConnaughy, E. A. (1981). Development of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA) Scale: A device for the measurement of stages of change [Paper]. In Open Access Master’s Theses. Paper 1614. https://doi.org/10.23860/thesis-mcconnaughy-eileen-1981

McConnaughy, E.N., Prochaska, J.O., & Velicer, W.F. (1983). Stages of change in psychotherapy: Measurement and sample profiles. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 20, 368-375.