The Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) is a social psychological theory that predicts and explains human behavior. The theory, developed by Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen in 1975, is based on the assumption that behavior is a function of an individual’s attitude towards the behavior and their subjective norms (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). The theory has been used extensively in the fields of health, communication, marketing, and behavioral sciences to understand and predict behavior. This article will provide an overview of the theory, discuss its applications, and review the empirical evidence that has been gathered to support it.
The Theory of Reasoned Action states that a person’s behavior is a direct result of their attitude toward the behavior and their subjective norms (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). Attitude is defined as an individual’s evaluation of the behavior in terms of its desirability, and subjective norms are the perceived social pressure to perform the behavior. The theory states that when a person’s attitude toward the behavior is positive, and their subjective norms are supportive of the behavior, they are more likely to perform the behavior. Conversely, when the attitude and subjective norms are negative, they are less likely to perform the behavior.
The Theory of Reasoned Action has been applied in numerous fields in order to understand and predict behavior. In the health field, the theory has been used to explain and predict health behaviors such as smoking, exercise, and dietary behavior (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). In the communication field, the theory has been used to understand and predict media usage and political opinion formation (Stryker, 1981). In the marketing field, the theory has been used to understand and predict consumer behavior (Kotler & Keller, 2011). Finally, in the behavioral sciences, the theory has been used to understand and predict behavior in a variety of contexts, such as drug use, academic performance, and job satisfaction (Ajzen, 1991).
The empirical evidence that has been gathered to support the Theory of Reasoned Action is extensive. Numerous studies have found that attitude and subjective norms are significant predictors of behavior (Ajzen, 1991; Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975; Stryker, 1981). Additionally, studies have shown that the theory can be used to explain and predict behavior in a variety of contexts, such as health behaviors, media usage, political opinion formation, consumer behavior, and job satisfaction (Ajzen, 1991; Kotler & Keller, 2011; Stryker, 1981).
In conclusion, the Theory of Reasoned Action is a widely accepted social psychological theory that has been used to understand and predict human behavior. The theory is based on the assumption that behavior is a function of an individual’s attitude towards the behavior and their subjective norms. The theory has been applied in numerous fields, such as health, communication, marketing, and behavioral sciences, and the empirical evidence that has been gathered to support it is extensive.
References
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational behavior and human decision processes, 50(2), 179-211.
Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, attitude, intention and behavior: An introduction to theory and research. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2011). Marketing management (14th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Stryker, S. (1981). Symbolic interactionism: A social structural version. Menlo Park, CA: Benjamin Cummings.