Minnesota State University, Mankato
Cornerstone: A Collection of
Scholarly and Creative Works for
Minnesota State University,
Mankato
iSALT Resources: Theories, Concepts, and
Measures
Institute for the Scholarship of Assessment,
Learning, and Teaching (iSALT)
2014
Theory of Planned Behavior
iSALT Team
Minnesota State University - Mankato
Follow this and additional works at: http://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/isalt_resources
Part of the Behavior and Behavior Mechanisms Commons
Recommended Citation
iSALT Team, "Theory of Planned Behavior" (2014). iSALT Resources: Theories, Concepts, and Measures. Paper 1.
http://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/isalt_resources/1
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What is Theory of Planned Behavior?
The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) predicts an individual's intention to engage in a behavior
at a specific time and place. It posits that individual behavior is driven by behavior intentions, where
behavior intentions are a function of three determinants: an individual’s attitude toward behavior,
subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control (Ajzen, 1991).
Key Concepts and Dimensions
Behavioral Intention
This is a proxy measure for behavior. It represents a person's motivation in the sense of her or
his conscious plan or decision to perform certain behavior (Conner & Armitage, 1998).
Generally, the strong the intention is, the more likely the behavior will be performed.
Attitude toward Behavior
This refers to the degree to which a person has positive or negative feelings of the behavior of
interest. It entails a consideration of the outcomes of performing the behavior.
Subjective Norm
This refers to the belief about whether significant others think he or she will perform the
behavior. It relates to a person’s perception of the social environment surrounding the behavior.
Perceived Behavioral Control
This refers to the individual’s perception of the extent to which performance of the behavior is
easy or difficult (Ajzen, 1991). It increases when individuals perceive they have more resources
and confidence (Ajzen, 1985; Hartwick & Barki, 1994; Lee & Kozar, 2005)
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Adapted from (Ajzen, 1991)
Measurements
Developing a measure utilizing the Theory of Planned Behavior is highly dependent upon the topic
being considered. Measures should assess all main components of the theory: attitude toward
behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and intention. Typical measures follow a
Likert-style format and can range in length from a few succinct questions to much longer and more
comprehensive surveys.
The article below describes how to construct a TPB questionnaire:
●
Ajzen, I. Constructing a theory of planned behavior questionnaire. Retrieved from:
http://people.umass.edu/~aizen/pdf/tpb.measurement.pdf
Two specific examples of the TPB questionnaire are presented below:
●
In their study, Davis et. al. (2002) developed a questionnaire to predict high-school
Academic Technology Services
A Division of Information Technology Services
Memorial Library, Room 3010 • Mankato, MN 56001
Phone 507-389-6654 (V) • 800-627-3529 711 (MRS/TTY) • Fax 507-389-6115
An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University.
completion among African Americans. This instrument assessed major constructs of
TPB, as well as several sections dealing with such issues as general and racial selfesteem, academic self-efficacy, neighborhood living conditions, and after-school
activities.
●
The second paper described a conceptual model, based on the TPB, which explained
how college students’ beliefs influence their intention to adopt mobile devices in their
coursework. The questionnaire used in this research contained 30 items and measured
the participants' perceptions with a 7-point Likert scales. The questionnaire can be found
in Appendix A of the paper (Cheon et. al., 2012).
References
1. Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to action: a theory of planned behavior. In J. Huhl, & J.
Beckman (Eds.), Will; performance; control (psychology); motivation (psychology) (pp. 11–39).
Berlin and New York: Springer-Verlag.
2. Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision
Processes, 50(2), 179-211.
3. Cheon, J., Lee, S., Crooks, S. M., & Song, J. (2012). An investigation of mobile learning
readiness in higher education based on the theory of planned behavior. Computers &
Education, 59(3), 1054-1064. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2012.04.015
4. Conner, M., & Armitage, C. J. (1998). Extending the theory of planned behavior: A review and
avenues for future research. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 28(15), 1429-1464.
5. Davis, L., Ajzen, I., Saunders, J. & Williams, T. (2002). The Decision of African American
Students to Complete High School: An Application of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Journal
of Educational Psychology, Vol 94(4), 810-819.
6. Hartwick, J., & Barki, H. (1994). Explaining the role of use participation in information system
use. Management Science, 40(4), 440–465.
7. Lee, Y., & Kozar, K. (2005). Investigating factors affecting the anti-spyware system adoption.
Communications of the ACM, 48(8), 72–77.
Academic Technology Services
A Division of Information Technology Services
Memorial Library, Room 3010 • Mankato, MN 56001
Phone 507-389-6654 (V) • 800-627-3529 711 (MRS/TTY) • Fax 507-389-6115
An Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University.