TDF domains and their explanations (reprinted with permissions from Cheung et al44 and Patey et al45)
| Domain | Description |
| Knowledge | Existing procedural knowledge, knowledge about guidelines, knowledge about evidence and how that influences what the participants do |
| Skills | Competence and ability about the procedural techniques required to perform the behaviour |
| Social/professional role and identity | Boundaries between professional groups (ie, is the behaviour something the participant is supposed to do or someone else’s role?) |
| Beliefs about capabilities | Perceptions about competence and confidence in doing the behaviour and how that influences their behaviour |
| Optimism | Whether the participant’s optimism or pessimism about the behaviour influences what they do |
| Beliefs about consequences | Perceptions about outcomes, advantages and disadvantages of performing the behaviour and how that influences whether they perform the behaviour |
| Reinforcement | Previous experiences that have influenced whether or not the behaviour is performed |
| Intention | A conscious decision to perform a behaviour or a resolve to act in a certain way |
| Goals | Priorities, importance, commitment to a certain course of actions or behaviours |
| Memory, attention and decision processes | Attention control, decision-making, memory (ie, is the target behaviour problematic because people simply forget?) |
| Environmental context and resources | How factors related to the setting in which the behaviour is performed (eg, people, organisational, cultural, political, physical and financial factors) influence the behaviour |
| Social influences | External influence from people or groups to perform or not perform the behaviour How the views of colleagues, other professions, patients and families, and doing what you are told, influence the behaviour |
| Emotion | How feelings or affect (positive or negative) may influence the behaviour |
| Behavioural regulation | Ways of doing things that relate to pursuing and achieving desired goals, standards or targets Strategies the participants have in place to help them perform the behaviour Strategies the participants would like to have in place to help them |