Knowledge and the Prediction of Behavior: The Role of Information Accuracy in the Theory of Planned Behavior

The results of the present research question the common assumption that being well informed is a prerequisite for effective action to produce desired outcomes. In Study 1 (N = 79), environmental knowledge had no effect on energy conservation, and in Study 2 (N = 79), alcohol knowledge was unrelated...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Basic and applied social psychology Vol. 33; no. 2; pp. 101 - 117
Main Authors: Ajzen, Icek, Joyce, Nicholas, Sheikh, Sana, Cote, Nicole Gilbert
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Philadelphia, PA Taylor & Francis Group 01.04.2011
Taylor & Francis
Psychology Press
Subjects:
Accuracy
Alcohol consumption
Alcohol use
Attitudes
Behavior
Biological and medical sciences
Correlation analysis
Drinking behavior
Energy conservation
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Inappropriateness
Information
Knowledge
Planned behaviour theory
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Social attribution, perception and cognition
Social psychology
Theory of planned behavior
Human
Decision making
Prediction
Intention
Behavior
Knowledge
Theory of planned behavior
Perceived control
Social cognition
ISSN:0197-3533, 1532-4834
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The results of the present research question the common assumption that being well informed is a prerequisite for effective action to produce desired outcomes. In Study 1 (N = 79), environmental knowledge had no effect on energy conservation, and in Study 2 (N = 79), alcohol knowledge was unrelated to drinking behavior. Such disappointing correlations may result from an inappropriate focus on accuracy of information at the expense of its relevance to and support for the behavior. Study 3 (N = 85) obtained a positive correlation between knowledge and pro-Muslim behavior, but Study 4 (N = 89) confirmed the proposition that this correlation arose because responses on the knowledge test reflected underlying attitudes. Study 4 also showed that the correlation could become positive or negative by appropriate selection of questions for the knowledge test. The theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991 ), with its focus on specific actions, predicted intentions and behavior in all four studies.
Bibliography:SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
ObjectType-Feature-1
content type line 14
ObjectType-Article-1
ObjectType-Feature-2
content type line 23
ISSN:0197-3533
1532-4834
DOI:10.1080/01973533.2011.568834