The theory of reasoned action: how can we predict behavior?

A summary of this theory developed by psychologists Icek Ajzen and Martin Fishbein.

Attitudes influence us when processing information from the environment. Often, they even guide the decisions we make at the behavioral level. Today we will learn about the most influential and well-known model of behavior prediction based on attitude. This is Fishbein and Ajzen's theory of reasoned action. (1975).

There are different factors that exert diverse influences on behavior, and that strengthen or attenuate the relationship between attitude-behavior. Therefore, we are going to know the mentioned theory, as well as some others.

• Related article, "Are we rational or emotional beings?"

Characteristics of Fishbein and Ajzen's model.

The position that a person adopts on a bipolar evaluative or affective dimension with respect to an object, action or event, is what we know as attitude (Fishbein, 1967).

The theory of reasoned action is a model of rational decision making, i.e., it establishes that behavior is the result of a rational and deliberative process.. The final action is arrived at by means of a process involving several steps. For these reasons, the model is limited to explaining volitional (voluntary) behaviors.

The model aims at predicting behavior. It is unidimensional, i.e., it focuses on a single component (considered essential) which is the evaluation of attitude to determine behavior. However, it considers other relevant variables, as we will see below.

Elements of the theory of reasoned action

According to this model, behavior is directly determined by behavioral intention. This is the ultimate and immediate determinant of the behavior, which leads the person to execute it or not.

Behavioral intention, in turn, is determined by two variables, which are the following:

Behavioral attitude.

Behavioral attitude consists of the positive or negative evaluation of the subject to develop such behavior.. It is determined by subjective probability and subjective desirability.

Subjective probability is the probability we perceive that a certain behavior will lead to a certain consequence. Subjective desirability is the subject's desire for a certain consequence to occur.

Subjective norm

This is the subject's judgment of the likelihood that important or relevant people will expect the subject to exhibit the behavior to be predicted.

It depends on two further variables: normative beliefs and the motivation to accommodate them..

Normative beliefs are what other people relevant to the subject expect the subject to do. Motivation to conform to such beliefs is the degree to which the subject follows what the relevant people think he/she should do.

Implications of the theory

According to the theory of reasoned action, if normative beliefs are powerful and the motivation to conform to them is zero, the subjective social norm will exert no influence on the intention to perform such behavior. This is so because the final product of the two variables would result in zero.

Empirical support for this theory in predicting behavior is considerable.according to several studies. However, there are other authors, such as Bentler and Speckart, who have proposed other factors in addition to these to explain behavior.

They propose that habits directly influence behavior, and that the mediation of attitudes or norms is null.

New contributions to Fishbein and Ajzen's theory.

In recent years, new contributions have emerged in relation to this theory. The most important have been two.

Theory of planned action (Ajzen and Madden, 1986).

This is an extension of the model that adds a new component: perceived behavioral control. It links attitude and behavior.

Thus, the ease or difficulty of the subject to perform the behavior is taken into account.

In other words, with this new contribution, intention will depend on three elements: attitude, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control.

Gollwitzer: implementation or implementation intentions

This author states that behavioral intentions predict behavior better when they are accompanied by implementation intentions or plans in relation to when and where the behavior will be initiated. when and where the desired behavior will be initiated..

This new contribution is especially useful when the behavior is not something concrete but an action that implies continuity over time (e.g. learning a new language).

These intentions are called "chronic intentions", i.e. intentions that have been held for some time but have never led us to initiate such an action. Thus, in order for the subject to finally take action, implementation intentions will be necessary..

Attitudes, individual and environment

We have seen how attitudes are closely related to individual behavior. In this regard, we can affirm that attitudes will weakly predict individual behavior. will weakly predict behavior when there are powerful factors in the environment.. That is, the greater the environmental influence, the less the individual's behavior is influenced.

In any case, one of the main environmental conditioning factors is the social norm, which often determines "how we should act".

Bibliographical references:

• Reyes, L. (2007). The theory of reasoned action: implications for the study of attitudes. Investigación educativa duranguense, nº7.
• Hogg, M. and Graham, M. (2010). Psicología social. Publisher: PANAMERICANA