IB Psychology:
Health Psychology & Health Promotion
THEORY OF REASONED ACTION
· It is a social cognition model (together with the Health Belief Model)
· People decide what to do
· Intentions are the best way to predict actions
· Two factors influence intention:
o Attitude towards behaviour
o Perceived social pressure
· Places emphasis on attitude of individual
· States that people make their decisions based on reasonable consideration of evidence
EVALUATION
- DOESN’T take into account perceived control over actions
- intentions don’t always predict actions
- previous experience might influence a person’s attitude
- doesn’t consider irrational decisions
- measurement and testing of attitudes and intentions is based upon self-report techniques, which can lack reliability and validity.
+ Rise (1992) attitudes towards dental floss use in Norwegian adolescents:
In this study the theory of planned behaviour was applied to predict use of dental floss among adolescents. The empirical data stem from a questionnaire survey of 15 year olds conducted in October 1992 in the county of Hordaland in Norway. Attitude, subjective norm perceived behavioural control and behavioural intention were measured at the baseline survey, and a measure of self-reported flossing was obtained in a subgroup of the original sample (n= 170) four weeks later. Perceived behavioural control enhanced the prediction of intention to use dental floss over and above attitude and subjective norm. Actual use of dental floss was predictable from intention and perceived control. While past behaviour predicted intention beyond the components of TPB, this was not the case for actual use of dental floss. The predicted interaction between perceived behavioural control and intention upon behaviour was confirmed.
+ Bagozzi (1981) decision to donate bone marrow
A field investigation of the determinants of decisions to donate bone marrow. Predictions are made on the basis of a modification of the theory of reasoned action wherein attitudes are operationalised in separate affective and evaluative components. Boundary conditions of the theory of reasoned action are further explored by examining the effects of culture (Hong Kong Chinese, N= 190; American Chinese, N = 107; black Americans, N = 124; and white Americans N = 122) on decisions to donate for each of four targets: Immediate Family Members (TFM), Close Relatives (CR), Ethnic Strangers (ES), and Total Strangers (TS). For this life or death decision, the willingness to give is hypothesized to vary as a function of the so-called fitness value of the recipients (i.e., their capacity to contribute to the donor's inclusive fitness), as modified by cultural differences between group- versus independent-based cultures. American Chinese showed stronger attitudes and felt norms, but not intentions, to give to close relatives than did Hong Kong Chinese, reflecting differential in-group/out-group pressures. Black and White Americans showed stronger attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions to donate to strangers than did Chinese.
+ Jemmott & Jemmott (1991) decision to donate bone marrow
This study tested hypotheses regarding attitudinal and normative influences on intentions to use condoms, a practice that would reduce women's risk of sexually transmitted HIV infection. Participants were 103 sexually active unmarried black women undergraduates at an inner-city commuter university, in an area with a high rate of reported AIDS cases among women. Consistent with the theory of reasoned action, analysis on women's anonymous responses to a mailed survey revealed that those who registered more favourable attitudes toward condoms and those who perceived subjective norms more supportive of condom use reported firmer intentions to use condoms in the next three months. Key behavioural beliefs related to attitudes centred on the adverse effects of condom use on sexual enjoyment. Key normative influences were respondents' sexual partners and mothers. However, women's own attitudes were a stronger determinant of intentions to use condoms than were their perceptions of normative influences, particularly among women with above-average AIDS knowledge. The results suggest that the theory of reasoned action provides a potentially useful conceptual framework for interventions to change a key AIDS risk behaviour among women.