PSYCHOLOGICAL THEORY THAT CAN EXPLAIN AND PREDICT CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN BEHAVIORAL SCIENCE

ECONOMICS AND CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR -CIA - 01

SUBMITTED BY

MEGHASHREE B

2039220

DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHOLOGY

CHRIST (Deemed-to-be- University), BENGALURU

Introduction

Martin Fishbein was an influential social psychologist who was active in AIDS prevention. He served as
Director of the Communications Program in Health at the Annenberg School for Communication at the
University of Pennsylvania Center for Public Policy. While at the University of Illinois in 1975, he and Icek
Ajzen co-authored his Belief, Attitude, Intention and Behavior. Then in the 1980s he was a consultant to the
National Institute of Mental Health on AIDS, and from 1992 until 1996 he was a visiting AIDS researcher at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Icek Ajzen is a social psychologist and professor emeritus at the
University of Massachusetts Amherst. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
and is best known for his work on planned behavior theory with Martin Fishbein. Ajzen has been ranked as the
most influential individual scientist within social psychology in terms of the cumulative impact of his research,
and the Society of Experimental Social Psychology has awarded him the 2013 Distinguished Scientist Award.
did. His research has influenced fields as diverse as advertising, health psychology, and the environment.
Psychology and has been cited over 280,000 times.

The main purpose of TRA is to understand human spontaneous behavior by examining the underlying and
fundamental motives for carrying out behavior. TRA states that a person's intention to perform an action is a
major predictor of whether they will actually perform that action. In addition, normative factors (that is, social
norms surrounding behavior) also influence whether the person actually performs the behavior. According to
theory, the intention to perform a particular action precedes the actual action. This intention is called behavioral
intention, and behavioral intention is the result of believing that performing an action will lead to a certain
outcome. Behavioral intentions are important to the theory because these intentions are “determined by attitudes
about actions and subjective norms.” TRA states that stronger intentions lead to increased effort to perform an
action, and that the action is performed. This suggests that the possibility of TRA has been used in many studies
as a framework for examining specific behaviors such as communication behavior, consumption behavior, and
health behavior. Many researchers use this theory to study behaviors associated with high levels of risk and
danger, such as unethical or deviant behavior. In contrast, some studies apply this theory to more normative and
rational types of behavior, such as voting behavior. Researchers Davies, Foxall, and Pallister suggest that he can
test TRA when "behavior is measured objectively without relating it to prior intentions." However, most studies
consider intentions as they play a central role in the theory.
Contribution To The Field Of Consumer Psychology

Rational action theory suggests that behavior is a function of intention. When intention increases, action tends
to increase. Attitude is the extent to which you have a positive/negative favor for an action. Subjective norms
are perceptions of what other people think about what you should or shouldn't do. His approval/disagreement
from family, friends, or colleagues could be interpreted as social input for the model and used to predict
health-related behavior. Rational behavior theory postulates that health-related behavior is the result of
deliberation and planning (Molloy et al., 2019). Attitude and purchase intent are consistent predictors of
consumer behavior. The assumptions that make up attitudes towards COVID-19 are harmful, difficult to
manage, and influence customer behavior in meeting needs (Widayat & Arin, 2020). There is also strong
evidence that social media can disseminate health information and change public perceptions, beliefs and
attitudes (Habes et al., 2020). Rational Action Theory can be viewed as an appropriate model for understanding
the perceptions, attitudes, intentions, and behaviors of individuals selected by COVID-19.

Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen philosophical and psychological school of thought

Martin Fishbein and Icek Ajzen first devised the theory of rational behavior.
A theory of consumer behavior that focuses on the relationship between marketing and pre-existing attitudes
that drive consumers towards purchasing decisions.

According to rational behavior theory, consumers act on behaviors they believe will produce or achieve a
particular result, whether they are accustomed to it or not. As such, rational decision-making is a key factor
driving consumer willingness to buy.

This notion of consumer behavior relies on the importance of specificity and candor. In other words, consumers
can only take certain actions if they have reason to believe that certain desired results will be achieved. From
the moment the consumer decides to proceed with the decision to the moment the action is completed, the
consumer may change their mind or choose a different course of action.

This has led marketers to some insights. The first insight is how to associate purchases with specific positive
outcomes. For example, AX markets its body mist products in such a way that anyone who uses it finds it made
more attractive to women. Second, the theory guides consumers through the sales pipeline rather than leaving
them where they have the option of abandoning a purchase or deciding to spend their money on a competing
brand. emphasizing the importance of leaving customers where there is an opportunity to abandon a purchase or
decide to spend their money on a competing brand, guiding them through the sales pipeline.

Theory of Rational and Planned ActionAn extended Fishbein model based on the theory of rational behavior
includes the following components that describe behavior: Attitudes towards behavior consisting of:
a. The strength of the expectation (belief) that actions will produce results.
b. The value of this result to the individual.

Relevance of Theory Of Reasoned Action in Consumer Marketing Psychology

According to rational action theory, consumers act on behaviors they believe will produce or achieve a
particular result, whether they are accustomed to it or not. In this way, rational decision-making is an important
factor driving consumer willingness to buy. The Theory of Reasoned Action/Planned Behavior predicts health
behaviors and provides information to help plan and implement health promotion and disease prevention
programs. Currently, competition among manufacturers is intensifying. This is reflected in the growing number
of companies offering different or similar products with increasingly different benefits. Therefore, to beat the
competition, you need to know consumer behavior and decide which strategy to use. You will find that
individual behavior varies greatly. This diversity has drawn the attention of experts to the study of human
behavior. There are many theories that explain human behavior. These theories are expert opinions about how
behavior occurs and what factors influence it. Theory of Reasoned Action is a theory that was developed to
explain how consumers lead to specific purchasing behavior, and is based on the idea that people act
consciously and take into account all available information. Based on assumptions. What is built on desire is
determined by two independent variables and they are attitudes and subjective norms. Attitudes influence
behavior through conscious and rational decision-making processes, and have limited influence on three things.
First, attitudes to action are based on attention to the consequences when actions are performed. Second, the
actions people take are not only based on the views and perceptions they consider appropriate, but also take into
account the views and perceptions of other people close to or related to them. I am here. Third, emerging
attitudes are based on individual views and perceptions, and attention to others' views and perceptions of
behavior can lead to behavioral intentions, which can become behaviors. Attitudes are defined as emotions
assumed to be positive or negative expressions associated with goal achievement. People have a positive
attitude when they believe that doing a certain action will produce mostly positive results. On the contrary, we
do not like people who believe that carrying out an action will lead primarily to negative consequences. Than
those who do not say what they want to say. Subjective norms represent an individual's beliefs about how those
around them perceive the behavior in order to consider whether it should be carried out. Those who believe that
most introducers who are highly motivated to comply believe they need to carry out the behavior are socially
pressured to do so (Lada et al., 2009) . From this we can conclude that human behavior is related to subjective
attitudes and norms. The more subjective attitudes and norms are adhered to, the stronger the desire to do
something. Furthermore, a person's beliefs about likes and dislikes of a behavior can shape a person's interest in
performing that behavior by recognizing the environmental expectations of that behavior.

Critique of Clinical Application of Theory of Reasoned Action

According to Fishbein and Ajzen's (1967) original formulation of TRA, behavioral intention measures are
spontaneous, unless intentions change prior to execution, or intentional measures do not match behavioral
criteria in terms of action, goal, or context. Predicts the execution of voluntary actions. , timeframe and/or
specificity. The TRA model has been challenged by studies aimed at investigating its limitations and
deficiencies.

A major problem in TRA has been identified as ignorance of the connections between individuals, both the
interpersonal and social relationships in which individuals act, and the broader social structures that shape
social practices. TRA recognizes the importance of social norms, but its strategy is limited to considering
individual perceptions of these social phenomena. An individual's beliefs, attitudes, and understandings are
composed activities. Therefore, the difference between the two factors is ambiguous. In 1972, Schwartz and
Tesler found that beyond behavioral attitudes and subjective norms, other important subjective determinants of
intention were at work. They suggest that one's sense of right and wrong and beliefs in one's moral obligations
can also influence one's intentions. is internalized. Furthermore, social change may be generational rather than
the sum of individual changes. TRA does not capture or simplify the process of social change and the social
nature of change itself.
A model in which people collectively construct new meanings and practices as appropriate. In addition, once we
become accustomed to past behavior, the influence of intentions on behavior tends to decrease as habits
increase. Gradually, performing actions ceases to be rational, active behavior and becomes a learned reaction.
Moreover, intentions seem to have a direct impact on behavior only in the short term. In addition, the analysis
of conceptual underpinnings also raises concerns. The model has been criticized for not being hypothetical
because of its ambiguity. Because the model focuses on analytical rather than synthetic truth, the conclusions
drawn from these applications are often true by definition rather than observation, making the model irrefutable.
I am making things. Attitudes and subjective norms towards behavior (social/personal) also vary across
cultures, but the process by which behavior is carried out remains the same. An example of this is a
cross-cultural study of fast food choices that found that people from Western cultures were more influenced by
previous restaurant choices than people from Eastern cultures. It shows that they value normative norms and
existing attitudes differently. A closer look at the cross-cultural communication process deepens and completes
the understanding of the TRA.

The theory of rational behavior has some limitations. One of them is the serious risk of confusing attitudes with
norms. This is because attitudes are often reformulated into norms, and norms into attitudes. For example,
people who think kale is good for their health simply reflect the subjective standards of the group that believes
kale is good for their health, including influential friends, family, doctors, and social media influencers. There is
a possibility that Planned behavior theories also have practical limitations, such as limitations in the
researcher's ability and time to accurately measure the factors that contribute to the theory's model,
environmental or organizational limitations, and unconscious habits that limit a person's agency.

References

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