Planned Behavior Theory

Words: 1467
Pages: 6

There are many theories in the field of public health that aim to explain and predict human behaviors. Of these theories, the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is one of the more well-known and utilized ones, as it provides a well-constructed and logical means of predicting the actions that a person might take based on the given circumstance. With the Theory of Planned Behavior being so prevalent in public health, there is a myriad of studies, both old and new, that test their hypotheses based on the predictions as set by this theory.
The Theory of Planned Behavior was put together by a scholar named Icek Ajzen in 1985; Ajzen based this theory on a previously established one called the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) that he and his colleague,
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Intra-individual (attitude) and extra-individual (subjective norm and perceived behavioral control) factors help predict adolescents’ intention to accept friend requests from strangers, but the most influential factor is perceived social pressure exerted by significant others. This study gives overarching guidelines for policy makers who wish to reduce this behavior, with focus being on the involvement of perceived social pressure by significant others. The authors also suggest a mild modification of social networking sites, where a clear reminder would be developed to remind users to think twice before accepting a friend request. Finally the Heirman group mention the possibility of making the default settings of minors with online profiles more private automatically.
Heriman et. al’s conclusions support the use of the Theory of Planned Behavior in predicting human behavior, though their main construct is one that is common to TPB and TRA. Once again, with some modifications, this group of researchers is in support of using TPB as a theory to for a model for a health behavior intervention. There are many other subjects in which the Theory of Planned Behavior is applicable. Some more directly health-related issues that are studied in light of the TPB are medication adherence, continuing education in practitioners, condom use resistance, and HPV vaccine