Cognitive Explanation of addiction - TPB

Question 1

3 constructs within theory of planned behavior?

Answer 1

• Attitude towards act/behavior
• Subjective norms
• Perceived behavioral control

Question 2

Attitude toward act/behavior

Answer 2

An individual’s belief and attitudes towards a particular behavior/act

Question 3

Subjective norms

Answer 3

An individual perceiving the attitudes of other people around them, whether it be their social network or social norms, towards a certain behavior/act. What we believe how other people will act if we do a certain thing influences whether we do that thing.

Question 4

Perceived behavioral control

Answer 4

How difficult is it to perform the act/behavior and whether an individual believes they can handle it.

Question 5

What happens if all the 3 constructs are positive?

Answer 5

It predicts a high likelihood of an individual developing a behavioral intention, which in turn can lead to actually doing the act/behavior

Question 6

Johnston and White (2003)

Answer 6

Aim:
Test the effectiveness of the TBP in predicting binge drinking behavior

Sample:
Australian students

Procedure:
The study was a prospective study, being carried out over a two-week period. At the start of the testing period, participants filled in a series of questionnaires which measured the 3 constructs of TPB. Participants answered the question using a 7-point Likert scale, with responses ranging from “extremely unlikely” to “extremely likely”.

The researchers than had the participants return after two weeks to determine if they had engaged in binge drinking behavior.

Findings:
Over 30% of participants had engaged in binge drinking over the two-week period and constructs in TBP accounted for almost 70% of the variance in the participants’ behavior, showing that it was significantly accurate.

Question 7

2 pros of TPB

Answer 7

High predictive validity in different areas of health psychology

The theory is holistic, taking into account both cognitive processes and social norms.

Question 8

2 cons of TBP

Answer 8

Most of the research is correlational, making it impossible to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between cognitive processes and behavior, as well as bidirectional ambiguity.

The theory assumes that people make all decisions based on rational processes by not addressing the question of internal and external motivation. For instance, someone may have a negative attitude to drinking and little intention to drink, however still do it because they seek group membership.