Psych 585: Psychology of Persuasion Interventions: Theory of Planned Behavior

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Psych 585 Psychology of PersuasionInterventions
Theory of Planned Behavior

• Professor Icek Aizen
• Office Tobin 625
• Email aizen_at_psych.umass.edu
• Tel [phone]

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The Theory of Planned Behavior(Ajzen, 1991)
Behavioral Beliefs
Attitude toward the Behavior
Intention
Behavior
Normative Beliefs
Subjective Norm
Control Beliefs
Perceived Behavioral Control
Actual Behavioral Control
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Behavior Change Interventions in the TPB Basic
Principles

• Intentions can be modified in two ways
• By changing the major determinants of intentions
  Attitudes, subjective norms, and/or perceptions
  of behavioral control
• By changing the relative weights of the three
  determinants
• Changes in intentions will result in behavioral
  change to the extent that
• the intention is directly compatible with the
  behavior
• the person has adequate control over the behavior
• the intention does not change prior to the
  behavior

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Intervention Targeting 2 Behavioral, 2 Normative,
and 2 Control Beliefs About Wearing Bicycle
Safety Helmet (Quine, Rutter, Arnold, 2001)
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Taking the Bus to Campus (Bamberg, Ajzen,
Schmidt, 2003)

• Population College students at the University
  of Giessen, Germany
• Behavior Self-reported bus use to get to the
  campus
• Intervention Prepaid semester bus ticket,
  accompanied by an extensive informational
  campaign.

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Taking the Bus to Campus (Bamberg, Ajzen,
Schmidt, 2003)
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Taking the Bus to Campus Intervention Outcomes
(Bamberg, Ajzen, Schmidt, 2003)
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Testicular Self-Examination (Murphy Brubaker,
1990)

• Population 10th grade students in health
  classes
• Behavior Self-reported TSE 4 weeks following
  intervention
• Intervention Persuasive communication
• 3 conditions
• TpB-based 12-minute videotaped message designed
  to strengthen AB, SN, and PBC toward performing
  TSE
• Cancer information Audio-visual slide
  presentation providing general information about
  testicular and other cancers
• Health information control Pamphlet about
  health in general

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Testicular Self-Examination Intervention
Outcomes (Murphy Brubaker, 1990)
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Persuasive Communication
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Acceptance-Yielding-Impact Model of Persuasion
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Pre-message Readiness to Join the Alcohol
Treatment Unit (Fishbein, Ajzen, McArdle,1980)
R2 .53
R2 .58
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Traditional Appeal Closing Paragraph

• So, in closing, I would like to stress that
  continuing to drink alcohol means that you are
  not only refusing to face reality but that you
  are also losing the opportunity of ever solving
  your basic problem. In fact, continued drinking,
  in itself, will lead to ruined physical and
  mental health as well as to a poorer relationship
  with your family and your employer. Also, as
  long as you stay in the hospital, your continued
  drinking means that you will received less
  personal attention form the hospital staff, less
  help with your personal problems, less
  self-government, less freedom to leave the
  hospital, and less opportunity to be with men
  who, like yourself, are in good contact with
  reality. I believe you now understand that you
  will only be hurting yourself if you continue
  drinking alcohol. Joining the ATU will give you
  the opportunity to solve your drinking problem.
  Therefore, I urge you to sign up the ATU now!

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Percentage Signing Up for the ATU(Fishbein,
Ajzen, McArdle, 1980)
Boomerang effect
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Negative Appeal Closing Paragraph

• So, in closing, I would like to stress that by
  not signing up for the ATU, you are not only
  refusing to face reality but you also are losing
  the opportunity to learn to control your
  drinking. Thus, not signing up for the ATU will
  lead to ruined physical and mental health as well
  as to a poorer relationship with your family and
  your employer. Also, as long as you stay in the
  hospital, your not signing up for the ATU means
  that you will receive less personal attention
  from the hospital staff, less help with your
  personal problems, less self-government, less
  freedom to leave the hospital, and less
  opportunity to be with men who, like yourself,
  are in good contact with reality. I believe you
  now understand that you will only be hurting
  yourself if you dont sign up for the ATU.
  Therefore, I urge you to sign up for the ATU now!

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Positive Appeal Closing Paragraph

• So, inclosing, I would like to stress that
  signing up for the ATU is a step in the right
  direction since the ATU gives you the opportunity
  to learn to control your drinking. Thus, signing
  up for the ATU will lead to improved physical and
  mental health, as well as to a better
  relationship with your family and your employer.
  Also, as long as you in the hospital, your
  signing up for the ATU means that you will
  receive more personal attention for the hospital
  staff, more help with your personal problems,
  more self-government, more freedom to leave the
  hospital, and more opportunity to be with men
  who, like yourself, are in good contact with
  reality. I believe you now understand that you
  will be helping yourself if you sign up for the
  ATU. Therefore, I urge you to sign up for the
  ATU now!

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Yielding to Major Arguments(Fishbein, Ajzen,
McArdle, 1980)
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Impact on Non-Message Primary BeliefsFishbein,
Ajzen, McArdle (1980)
Appeal
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Attitudes Toward Signing Up for the
ATU(Fishbein, Ajzen, McArdle, 1980)
Negative appeal
Positive appeal
No message control
Traditional appeal
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Percentage Signing Up for the ATUFishbein,
Ajzen, McArdle (1980)
Negative appeal
Positive appeal
No message control
Traditional appeal