The Theory of Planned Behaviour Flashcards
Outline the theory of planned behaviour (6 marks)
The theory of planned behaviour explains why some people can become addicted and helps understand how to change addictive behaviour. First attitudes are used to change someone’s intention, they need to have negative views towards their addiction such as smoking is bad for my health or it can lead to lung cancer which is more likely to change their addictive behaviour. Next subjective norms are used to change someone’s intention, the people around that individual must want them to change such as all my friends hate me smoking around them and want me to give up. Finally, control is the most important part of the model. In order to change someone’s intention, they must believe that they have the willpower to be able to give up (self-efficacy) such as I can give up smoking. All 3 interacting components need to be present to stop their addiction as if one concept is missing, then they will not have the intention to stop.
Discuss the theory of planned behaviour (3 X AO3)
Research to support the theory of planned behaviour comes from Haggar et al. They asked participants to complete questionnaires about their alcohol-related behaviours at the start of the research and then one and three months later. They found that personal attitudes and subjective norms correlated significantly with the intention to limit drinking to match guidelines. Perceived control predicted actual unit consumption. This supports the TPB as the three components interact to effect an individual’s intention to stop. Thus, increasing its validity in explaining behaviour change in addiction.
However, a problem with much of the research into TPB is that they rely on questionnaires which are prone to social desirability. Individual’s may lie about their intentions towards their addiction in order to present themselves in the best possible light. For example, they may say they intend to drink within guidelines to avoid being judged. Therefore, this reduces the validity of the research supporting TPB of behaviour change.
A strength of TPB is that it has led to practical applications. This is because the principles of TPB can be used to predict who therapy is most likely to be successful for example, if person missing one of the components such as attitudes, they will not have intention to change and so will not be offered therapy. This will help the NHS prioritise their limited resources on individuals with high intention to change and reducing waiting times for therapy. Therefore, TPB is an important area of applied psychology.
