Theory of Planned Behavior

 What is Theory of Planned Behavior?

 Key Concepts and Dimensions
 Measurements
 References

What is Theory of Planned Behavior?

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) predicts an individual's intention to engage in a

behavior at a specific time and place. It posits that individual behavior is driven by behavior
intentions, where behavior intentions are a function of three determinants: an individual’s
attitude toward behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (Ajzen,
1991).

Key Concepts and Dimensions

Behavioral Intention

This is a proxy measure for behavior. It represents a person's motivation in the sense of
her or his conscious plan or decision to perform certain behavior (Conner & Armitage,
1998). Generally, the strong the intention is, the more likely the behavior will be
performed.

Attitude toward Behavior

This refers to the degree to which a person has positive or negative feelings of the
behavior of interest. It entails a consideration of the outcomes of performing the
behavior.

Subjective Norm
This refers to the belief about whether significant others think he or she will perform the

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 behavior. It relates to a person’s perception of the social environment surrounding the
behavior.

Perceived Behavioral Control

This refers to the individual’s perception of the extent to which performance of the
behavior is easy or difficult (Ajzen, 1991). It increases when individuals perceive they
have more resources and confidence (Ajzen, 1985; Hartwick & Barki, 1994; Lee &
Kozar, 2005)

Adapted from (Ajzen, 1991)

Measurements

Developing a measure utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior is highly dependent upon the
topic being considered. Measures should assess all main components of the theory: attitude
toward behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention. Typical

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measures follow a Likert-style format and can range in length from a few succinct questions to
much longer and more comprehensive surveys.

The article below describes how to construct a TPB questionnaire:

 Ajzen, I. Constructing a theory of planned behavior questionnaire. Retrieved from:
http://people.umass.edu/~aizen/pdf/tpb.measurement.pdf

Two specific examples of the TPB questionnaire are presented below:

 In their study, Davis et. al. (2002) developed a questionnaire to predict high-school
completion among African Americans. This instrument assessed major constructs of
TPB, as well as several sections dealing with such issues as general and racial self-
esteem, academic self-efficacy, neighborhood living conditions, and after-school
activities.
 The second paper described a conceptual model, based on the TPB, which explained
how college students’ beliefs influence their intention to adopt mobile devices in their
coursework. The questionnaire used in this research contained 30 items and measured
the participants' perceptions with a 7-point Likert scales. The questionnaire can be found
in Appendix A of the paper (Cheon et. al., 2012).

References

1. Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to action: a theory of planned behavior. In J. Huhl, & J.
Beckman (Eds.), Will; performance; control (psychology); motivation (psychology)
(pp. 11–39). Berlin and New York: Springer-Verlag.
2. Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human
Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211.
3. Cheon, J., Lee, S., Crooks, S. M., & Song, J. (2012). An investigation of mobile learning
readiness in higher education based on the theory of planned behavior. Computers &
Education, 59(3), 1054-1064. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.04.015
4. Conner, M., & Armitage, C. J. (1998). Extending the theory of planned behavior: A
review and avenues for future research. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 28(15),
1429-1464.
5. Davis, L., Ajzen, I., Saunders, J. & Williams, T. (2002). The Decision of African American
Students to Complete High School: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior.

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Memorial Library, Room 3010 • Mankato, MN 56001
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 Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 94(4), 810-819.
6. Hartwick, J., & Barki, H. (1994). Explaining the role of use participation in information
system use. Management Science, 40(4), 440–465.
7. Lee, Y., & Kozar, K. (2005). Investigating factors affecting the anti-spyware system
adoption. Communications of the ACM, 48(8), 72–77.

Academic Technology Services

A Division of Information Technology Services
Memorial Library, Room 3010 • Mankato, MN 56001
Phone 507-389-6654 (V) • 800-627-3529 711 (MRS/TTY) • Fax 507-389-6115
An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University.