Attitudes & Behaviour II

Question 1

KEY TERM ACRONYMS

Answer 1

• attitudes = A
• theory of reasoned action = TRA
• theory of planned behaviour = TPB
• behavioural intentions = BI
• perceived behavioural control = PBC
• subjective norms = SN
• implementation intentions = II
• motivation/opportunity as determinants of behaviour = MODE model

Question 2

THEORY OF REASONED ACTION (TRA)

Answer 2

• attitude component = expectancy/value
• behavioural intentions = do you intend to x?
• subjective norm = what do others think? normative beliefs + motivation to comply

Question 3

FISHBRIN & AZJEN (1975)

Answer 3

• TRA
• attitude toward the beh + subjective norm -> beh intention -> behaviour

Question 4

TRA: EVALUATION

Answer 4

• good at predicting beh BUT…
• “can” factor was missing (aka. does person feel they CAN perform beh)
• AKA. perceived behavioural control (PBC)

Question 5

AZJEN (1991)

Answer 5

• theory of planned behaviour (TPB)
• incorporated perceived behavioural control (PBC)
• PBCs determined by control beliefs
• PBC influences beh via affecting beh intentions (BI) and direct behaviour

Question 6

AZJEN & MADDEN (1986)

Answer 6

• theory of planned behaviour (TPB)
• attitude toward beh + subjective norm + perceived beh control -> behavioural intention -> beh

Question 7

TPB: COMPARISON

Answer 7

• adding PBC = improvement > TRA
• TRA/TPB studies; support found for both
  ALBARRACIN ET AL (2001)
• meta-analysis (96 studies)
• TRA; condom use
  AMITAGE & CONNOR (2001)
• meta-analysis (185 studies)
• TPB; stopping smoking
• blood donation
• public transport

Question 8

ALBARRACIN ET AL (2001)

Answer 8

• future condom use beh = STATSIG related to BI to use condoms (r = .45)
• B1 predicted via As (r = .58)/SNs (r = .39)
• As towards condom use predicted by beh beliefs (r = .56)
• SNs predicted by normative beliefs (r = .46)
• SO: TRA variables did well in helping beh prediction

Question 9

ARMITAGE & CONNER (2001)

Answer 9

• suggests TPB = good intention/beh predictor
• works better for self-reported > observed beh
• showed that PBC independently predicted intentions/beh in a wide domain number

Question 10

TPB: EVALUATION

Answer 10

• both meta-analyses = good evidence of effectiveness in predicting thoughtful beh BUT…
  1. ARE SOME BELIEFS MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHERS?
  2. WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT IN BI PREDICTION: A/SN?

Question 11

TPB: ARE SOME TYPES OF BELIEF MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHERS?

Answer 11

• liked VS disliked outcomes
• negative outcomes = ^ important in predicting speeding beh
• positive outcomes = ^ important in predicting smoking initiation (LAWTON ET AL (2007)
• material costs/benefits to the self; action consequences for feelings/well-being (instrumental VS emotional beliefs)

Question 12

INSTRUMENTAL VS EMOTIONAL BELIEFS

Answer 12

• action = eating fruits
• instrumental outcomes = better energy levels/weight control/cardiovascular health
• emotional outcomes = pride/vitality feelings
• important distinction when understanding risky beh; negative emotional beliefs = v important

Question 13

WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT IN PREDICTING BI: A/SN?

Answer 13

• usually BI better predicted by A > SN BUT not always
• sometimes difs in whether people/situations emphasise personal (what I think) VS collective (what OTHERS who matter think) beliefs

Question 14

TRAFIMOV & FINLAY (1996)

Answer 14

• students completed measures of A/SN/BI towards 30 items ie. paying bills on time/eating begs regularly
• 80% = BIs better predicted by A > SN
• 20% = reversed pattern

Question 15

YBARRA & TRAFIMOW (1998)

Answer 15

• do we think more in terms of private VS collective self?
• pps thought about private VS collective-self cognitions to see if results = affected
• private self-cognition = “I am funny”
• collective self-cognition = “my family thinks that I am funny”

Question 16

YBARRA & TRAFIMOW (1998): METHOD

Answer 16

• 1 pp group asked to think about themselves/expectations/how they DIFFERED from family/friends
• other asked what they had in COMMON w/family/friends
• 1st tried to make personal-self beliefs salient
• 2nd made collective-self beliefs salient
• rated A/SN/BI towards condom use during sex

Question 17

YBARRA & TRAFIMOW (1998): RESULTS

Answer 17

• private-self belief primed pps = B1s ^ correlated/predicted by As (r = .64) > SNs (r = .48)
• collective-self belief pps = B1s ^ correlated/predicted by SNs (r = .67) > As (r = .54)

Question 18

! CRITICAL !

Answer 18

• highlight conditions where SNs can be ^ important in predicting BIs
• fits findings from other studies that dif thinking ways about ourselves affects A-B link
• relevant when looking at cross-cultural difs in A roles

Question 19

HOW DO BIs TRANSLATE INTO BEHAVIOUR?

Answer 19

• they don’t!
• important development = implementation intentions (IIs = specific “if-then” plans) ie:
  1. WHEN I encounter situation A, I WILL perform behaviour B.

Question 20

ORBELL ET AL (1997)

Answer 20

• when implementation intentions present -> A-B link ^
• intervention group instructed to form IIs
• control group = no instructions
• 1m post intervention -> 64% of II group reported having performed breast self-examination; 14% in control

Question 21

OTHER IMPORTANT VARIABLES

Answer 21

• if TPB = correct -> only As/SNs/PBC/BIs should matter when predicting beh
• other things perceived morality of beh/personal need for satisfaction/anticipated negative self-conscious emotion/individual self-efficacy difs/habit
• REMEMBER = TPB isn’t perfect

Question 22

THE MODE MODEL: SUMMARY

Answer 22

• MODE = Motivation and Opportunity as Determinants of Behaviour
• dual process model
• individuals have BOTH sufficient motivation/opportunity
• may base beh on measured consideration of attitudes
• if not -> spontaneous info processing
• accessible attitudes readily activated in spontaneous situations so A-B link = ^ > when attitudes = inaccessible

Question 23

! SUMMARY !

Answer 23

• TRA/TPB = influential in understanding A-B links
• negative emotional beliefs can have ^ impact on BIs > positive non-emotional beliefs
• compared to influence of SNs, As influence may be lower when collective self-beliefs = salient < when private self-beliefs = salient
• IIs can really affect A-B link
• TPB = useful BUT not exhaustive in terms of factors predicting beh
• MODE model helps understand how attitude accessibility impacts A-B link