Understanding Theory of Planned Behavior:

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is a psychological theory that explains how people make decisions to engage in specific behaviors.

Core Idea:

People’s intentions to perform a behavior are the most important predictors of whether they will actually do it. These intentions are influenced by three main factors.

Key Components:

Attitude toward the behavior

• This refers to the person’s positive or negative evaluation of performing the behavior.
• Example: “Exercising every day is good for my health” → Positive attitude.

Subjective norms

• These are the perceived social pressures to perform or not perform the behavior.
• Example: “My friends and family think I should stop smoking.”

Perceived behavioral control

• This reflects the person’s belief in how easy or difficult it is to perform the behavior.
• Example: “I can go to the gym even if I have a busy schedule.”

Formula (conceptually):

Intention → Behavior, where:
Intention = Attitude + Subjective Norm + Perceived Control

Example:

Behavior: Quitting smoking

• Attitude: Believes smoking is harmful
• Subjective Norm: Friends and partner want them to quit
• Perceived Control: Feels confident about using nicotine patches and avoiding triggers
  → Strong intention to quit → Likely to follow through

Applications:

• Health behavior change (e.g., diet, exercise)
• Marketing and consumer behavior
• Environmental behavior (e.g., recycling)
• Public policy interventions

Shervan K Shahhian