The theory of planned behaviour (TPB)
- TPB is a cognitive theory that can be applied to explain many behaviours and efforts to change behaviour, including addiction
- Ajzen (1991) developed the TPB to explain how intention and beliefs affect behaviour change
- The core idea of the TPB is that to predict the outcome of an effort to change behaviour it is necessary to consider the intention of the individual, which is affected by their attitudes, beliefs and perception of control
- TPB states that any behaviour, which would include addiction, is affected by the intention to behave in a certain way
- Intention has three main components:
- Behavioural attitude - the degree to which the individual approves or disapproves of the behaviour, and a consideration of the outcomes
- Subjective norms - these refer to an individual’s beliefs and feelings about whether people they value/admire/love think the individual should engage in the behaviour
- Perceived behavioural control - the perception of the control the individual believes they have over the behaviour, with a perception of strong control leading to more chance of the behaviour occurring
The theory of Planned Behaviour.