NPT is an Action Theory, which means that it is concerned with explaining what people do rather than their attitudes or beliefs. We divide action up according to a set of four constructs. Each of these constructs - Coherence, Cognitive Participation, Collective Action, and Reflexive Monitoring - represents a generative mechanism of social action. That is, each construct represents different kinds of work that people do as they work around a set of practices, whether these are some new technology or a trial of a complex intervention.