Which component of the COM-B model encompasses external factors that enable and encourage behavior, as well as the environmental context and social influences?

• A. Capability
• B. Opportunity
• C. Motivation
• D. Reinforcement

Answer: (B)

External factors that enable and encourage behavior, along with the environmental context and social influences, are captured by the component that represents opportunities outside the person. In the COM-B model, Opportunity covers these external conditions that make a behavior possible or more likely, including physical aspects like access to resources and time, as well as social aspects such as norms, cultural expectations, and support from others.

This is distinct from Capability, which is about the individual’s abilities and skills, and Motivation, which concerns the desire, intention, and cognitive processes driving the behavior. Reinforcement is about outcomes that follow a behavior and influence future action, but the broad external enablers and context fall under Opportunity.