Advancing Reasoned Action Theory

Dedicated to Martin Fishbein, the premier social psychologist in the area of attitude and attitude change, this volume focuses on his work as the codeveloper of reasoned action theory—an approach to behavioral prediction and change that has been used in thousands of research studies. Immediately after Fishbein’s death, the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania established a memorial lecture series in his honor. This volume offers ten formal papers derived from those lectures, starting with a summary of the evolution of reasoned action theory and a quantitative analysis of the current approach, followed by a discussion of ways to expand the capacity of the theory, and concluding with current examples of state-of-the-art applications of reasoned action theory focusing on different types of behavioral interventions. These articles attest to the general applicability of the theory and the heterogeneous contexts in which the theory can be productively applied. Together, they compose the most up-to-date treatment of the quantitative analysis of reasoned action theory currently available, and they show that there is considerable justification for comparing the reasoned action approach to other well-known scientific theories. This volume will appeal to students of political sociology and public health; to a multidisciplinary scholarly audience in sociology, public affairs, and social work; and to public health practitioners and foundation grant specialists.