Theory of Planned Behavior

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The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) of Icek Ajzen (1985, 1991) helps to understand how we can change the behavior of people. The TPB is a theory which predicts deliberate behavior, because behavior can be planned.

TPB is the successor of the similar Theory of Reasoned Action of Ajzen and Fishbein (1975, 1980). The succession was the result of the discovery that behavior appeared to be not 100% voluntary and under control. This resulted in the addition of perceived behavioral control. With this addition the theory was called the Theory of Planned Behavior.

The three considerations of the Theory of Planned Behavior

In short, according to TPB, human action is guided by three kinds of considerations:

1. Behavioral Beliefs. These are beliefs about the likely consequences of the behavior.

2. Normative Beliefs. These are beliefs about the normative expectations of others.

3. Control Beliefs. These are beliefs about the presence of factors that may facilitate, or may impede, the performance of the behavior.

The three considerations of Ajzen are crucial in circumstances / projects / programs when the behavior of people needs to be changed.

In their respective aggregates, behavioral beliefs produce a favorable or unfavorable attitude toward the behavior, normative beliefs result in perceived social pressure or subjective norm, and control beliefs give rise to perceived behavioral control. In combination, the attitude toward the behavior, subjective norm, and perception of behavioral control, lead to the formation of a behavioral intention. As a general rule, if the attitude and subjective norm are more favorable, the perceived control will be greater, and the person's intention to perform the behavior in question should be stronger.

Residual Effects of Past on Later Behavior

Recently (2002), Ajzen investigated residual effects of past on later behavior. He came to the conclusion that this factor indeed exists, but cannot be described to habituation, such as many people are thinking. A review of existing evidence suggests that the residual impact of past behavior is attenuated, when measures of intention and behavior are compatible. And the impact vanishes when intentions are strong and well formed, expectations are realistic, and specific plans for intention implementation have been developed.

A research project in the travel industry resulted in the conclusion that past travel choice only contributes to the prediction of later behavior if circumstances remain relatively stable.

Example: The Theory of Planned Behavior of Ajzen can help to explain why advertising campaigns merely providing information do not work. To only increase the knowledge does not help to change the behavior very much. Campaigns that aim at attitudes, perceived norms, and control in making the change or buying certain goods, have better results.

Similarly in management, (change) programs that focus only on explanation of the importance of something (knowledge transfer) will likely not succeed. Rather one should convince people to change their intention to change, by giving a lot of attention to attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavior control.

Book: Icek Ajzen, Martin Fishbein - Understanding Attitudes and Predicting Social Behavior

Forum Start a new topic about Human Behavior Write here. Ask a question or explain something. Current forum discussions about Human Behavior: How to Motivate a Person to Change Their Behavior? Attempting to change behavior of a person based solely on information will not work. - Many doctors try this but fail to get their patients to make life-style changes (heart attack as example) solely... 33   35 comments Theory of Planned Behavior and Maslow I have read some of the remarks here and am now wondering how TPB relates to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Any ideas on this?... 15   2 comments Moving from Self-Awareness to Self-Management to Self-Improvement Why quit smoking is so difficult although most smokers are aware of its impact on health and well-being? Why we keep doing things that we know may not be appropriate or helpful? This is because knowin... 13   4 comments How to Apply TPB Theory in Marketing? I'm not familiar with the theory here, but am wondering how its principles apply to marketing in the case where you are at a competitive disadvantage, and want to change your customer's behavior so th... 11   2 comments What is Perceived Behavioral Control and Why is it Important? The Role of Perceived Behavioral Control in the Theory of Planned Behavior As stated in the Summary of The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) this theory posits that an individual's intention to perfor... 8   3 comments How to Apply the Theory of Planned Behavior in Work Safety Safety in mining is of utmost importance and statistics show that the behaviour of people is part of the causes. How can I apply the TPB to help change the behaviour from unsafe to safe?... 8   5 comments

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Expert Tips Advanced insights about Human Behavior. Here you will find professional advices by experts. Consultancy Tips Teaching Tips Practical Implementation Tips Changing Habits / Attitudes of People Reframing Behavior In their article “That’s the Way We (Used to) Do Things Around Here” (strategy+business, Spring 2011, Issue 62), Jeffrey... Katz Functionalist Theory of Attitudes Consumer Attitudes, Customer Attitudes, Buying Behavior, Advertising Obtaining insights into attitudes of customers is important for organizations, because attitudes influence customer beha... Ineffective Behavior Analyzing Manager, Employee or Self Behavior There are many different forms or manifestations of ineffective behavior, such as - Finding it difficult to say 'no'. ...

Information Sources Various sources of information regarding Human Behavior. Here you will find powerpoints, videos, news, etc. to use in your own lectures and workshops. Attitudes: Definition, Functions, Models and Application to Business and Marketing Attitudes This presentation elaborates on the concept and models related to attitudes, including the following sections: 1. What ... Attitude, Motivation and Persuasion Persuasion Theory, Managing Behavior This presentation by S.J. Grant is about attitudes, motivation and how affects persuasion. The following sections are in... Introduction to the Theory of Planned Behaviour Understanding the Roles our Beliefs are Playing in our Behavior Explanation of the Essence of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), which sees intention as the predictor of behavior. ...

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