International Encyclopedia of Communication Online

Extract

The theory of planned behavior (TPB) is one of a class of related theories of behavior change. The theory was developed by Icek Ajzen (1985, 1991) as an extension of the theory of reasoned action (TRA; Fishbein & Ajzen 1975 ; →  Reasoned Action, Theory of ), itself a model of behavior change. The TRA originated as a solution to the problem of attitude–behavior correspondence (→  Attitude–Behavior Consistency ). In brief, the problem is the commonly observed fact that people can have attitudes toward a behavior that are favorable or unfavorable but not act on those attitudes in a consistent way. To understand the importance of the TPB requires understanding of how the TRA solves the problem of attitude–behavior correspondence. As part of the solution, Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen introduced the concept of intention as a mediator of attitudes and behavior. When a behavior is under volitional control – that is, when a person can readily enact a behavior or not – then the intention to carry out such a (volitional) action will lead to that behavior under certain circumstances. The TRA initially is restricted to volitional behaviors with behavioral intentions mediating attitudes and behavioral response. To insure correspondence among attitudes, behavioral intention, and behavior requires behaviors that are carefully defined and that there is correspondence across the three. The ... log in or subscribe to read full text