Theory of Reasoned Action and Theory of Planned Behavior

The theory of reasoned action and its extension, the widely used theory of planned behavior, state that intention to perform a behavior follows reasonably (but not necessarily rationally) from specific beliefs that people hold about the behavior, and that people act on their intentions when they have the required skills and when situational factors do not impede behavioral performance. The relevance of the reasoned action approach for understanding media effects lies in its direct applicability to the question of how exposure to media information leads to behavior change. Seen through a reasoned action lens, media are one of multiple sources of information that form the basis of beliefs that guide people's intention to perform a particular behavior. These theories explain how media affect behavior, when they are most likely to affect behavior, which factors they can directly influence, and the likely magnitude of media effects on behavior. Keywords: cognitive processes; decision making; mass communication theory; media psychology