Why Do I Act The Way I Do?

 How do you feel about attending college? Do you have a positive or negative reaction to that question, and has this reaction been stable over time? This reaction is called an attitude, which is a response towards something that lasts over time but can change (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986). Although it may seem like attitudes are the sole predictors of behavior, they are not (Azjen, 1991). In fact, the Theory of Planned Behavior model states that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived control interact to create an intention that predicts one’s behavior (Azjen, 1991). Subjective norms are external or social pressures, whereas perceived control refers to one’s ability to behave a certain way (Azjen, 1991). The Theory of Planned Behavior also found that attitudes are more predictive of behavior when they are specific and strong (Azjen, 1991). Further, attitudes can become strong from a large amount of information on something, personal experiences, and when someone is personally invested in something (Azjen, 1991).

 

This theory has reminded me of my choice to attend Southwestern University. My attitude toward attending college was mostly positive from excitement, but also nervous due to venturing far from my parents (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986). All of my close friends were going to college and many American teens go to college after high school. I even knew someone who went to Southwestern a year before me. The fact that my friends went to college and I had a connection at Southwestern are the subjective norms that factored into my decision to choose SU (Azjen, 1991). Further, I had the opportunity to go wherever I wanted for college because I got scholarships at the schools I applied to, my parents had the ability to pay for me to attend college, and I liked all the universities I was accepted to. These factors refer to my perceived control, which means I was able to attend the school I wanted (Azjen, 1991). These variables contributed to my intention to attend Southwestern University, which was the strongest predictor of me actually attending SU (Azjen, 1991).

 

Another personal example that fits in the Theory of Planned Behavior is going to the doctor’s office (Azjen, 1991). I dislike seeing the doctor, especially since I have gotten older and attend appointments alone. This fear got stronger when I passed out while getting my blood drawn. However, it is normal to see a doctor once or twice a year and required for me to be able to get my medications refilled and stay healthy. Although I have a negative attitude toward doctor’s appointments, subjective norms and lack of control override my feelings in determining my behavior of going to the doctor (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986; Azjen, 1991). It is clear through these examples that attitudes are not the only predictors of behavior, which validates the Theory of Planned Behavior (Petty & Cacioppo, 1986; Azjen, 1991).

 

References

Azjen, Icek. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211. https://doi.org/10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T

Petty, E. R., & Cacioppo, T. J. (1986). The elaboration likelihood model of persuasion. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 19, 123-205. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0065-2601(08)60214-2

 

I have acted with honesty and integrity in producing this work and am unaware of anyone who has not.

– Mara Strohl

 

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