What is theory of Planned Behavior?
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Summary
10 papers analyzed
These studies suggest the Theory of Planned Behavior predicts human intentions and behaviors across various domains, including health, environment, and entrepreneurship, by considering attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control.
20 papers analyzed
Introduction
The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), proposed by Icek Ajzen in 1985, is a psychological theory that links beliefs and behavior. It has been widely used to predict and understand various human behaviors across different domains, including health, environmental science, and entrepreneurship.
Key Insights
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Core Components of TPB:
- TPB posits that behavior is directly influenced by behavioral intentions, which are in turn shaped by three factors: attitudes towards the behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) .
- Attitudes refer to the individual's positive or negative evaluations of performing the behavior .
- Subjective norms involve the perceived social pressure to perform or not perform the behavior .
- Perceived behavioral control reflects the perceived ease or difficulty of performing the behavior, which can also directly influence behavior .
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Predictive Power of TPB:
- TPB explains a significant portion of the variance in both behavioral intentions and actual behavior. It accounts for approximately 27% to 39% of the variance in behavior and intention, respectively.
- Attitude and PBC are often the most significant predictors of intention, while intention is the most important predictor of behavior .
- The subjective norm is generally a weaker predictor of intentions compared to attitude and PBC, partly due to measurement issues and the need for a more comprehensive normative component.
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Applications in Health-Related Behaviors:
- TPB has been effectively applied to predict health-related behaviors, with an average R2 of .41 for intention and .34 for behavior.
- In health contexts, PBC and attitude are crucial in explaining intentions, while intention remains the primary predictor of behavior .
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Applications in Environmental Science:
- TPB has been extensively used to study pro-environmental behaviors such as recycling, energy conservation, and sustainable transportation .
- The theory has been integrated with other factors and theories to enhance its explanatory power in environmental contexts.
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Applications in Chronic Illness and Treatment Adherence:
- TPB has shown efficacy in predicting treatment adherence in chronic illness, explaining 33% of the variance in intention and 9% in adherence behavior.
- The relationships among attitude, subjective norm, PBC, intention, and behavior are consistent with TPB predictions, though effect sizes are generally small.
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Applications in Entrepreneurship:
- TPB is robust in predicting entrepreneurial intentions and subsequent actions, demonstrating its relevance in business start-up contexts.
- Longitudinal studies support the theory's applicability in translating entrepreneurial intentions into actual behavior.
Conclusion
The Theory of Planned Behavior is a well-established framework for understanding and predicting human behavior across various domains. It emphasizes the roles of attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control in shaping intentions, which in turn predict behavior. While the theory is robust and widely applicable, the subjective norm component often requires refinement for better predictive accuracy. Overall, TPB remains a valuable tool in behavioral science, offering insights into the mechanisms driving human actions.
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