Expectancy Value Models 10 26 2015 Attitudes Whether strongly or weakly held positive or negative momentary or enduring influence the likelihood of engaging in particular behaviors Expectancy value theories were developed to explain how individuals behaviors are influenced by beliefs and attitudes toward objects and actions Framework for determining logical and affective calculations that go into decisions and actions Assumes that people behave according to the personal benefits an action is anticipated or expected to provide considering the costs or relative advantages of the alternatives Suggest that behavior is likely when advantages of a particular action outweigh the costs Information isn t always understood the same way by everyone who receives it Based on dominant beliefs and attitudes about an object or behavior Knowledge Perception Objectively verifiable truth Factual Is what is true and what one can be absolutely sure about Interpretation of information Two people can have the same information and interpret it Often interchanged with belief even though perception is more differently based on interpretation What we think is true based on the information we have at hand and our interpretation of it Can be tentative and changing Beliefs Attitude Collection of beliefs about a particular object or action combine to make up attitudes Evaluation about goodness or badness of an object or thing More general than beliefs because they represent an integration of beliefs about an object or action Convey an emotional quality that beliefs may not have Smoking is enjoyable Cigarettes are bad Social norms Value The prevalence of behaviors within a society or group 28 of high school seniors smoke More general than attitudes Evaluation of the relative importance of various factors concepts and actions I value the opinions of my friends I value my health too much to start smoking Expectancy value theory is named because it assumes people tend to behave in ways that they expect will maximize the likelihood of achieving something they value The theory of reasoned action TRA Introduced in 1980 Describes the relationships between beliefs attitudes intentions and behaviors People behave according to their intentions when opportunity allows On the notion that intention is largely rational based on actor s beliefs and attitudes Intent Likelihood of taking actions More strongly one intends to do something the more likely action will occur Attitudes tend to be better associated with intention than with behavior and intent has been shown to be associated with behavior Intention can be measured by asking people about how likely they are to take a particular action in a defined context Can be easily and accurately managed Attitudes toward objection or action Subjective evaluation of the object or action Positive or negative evaluation of self performance of a particular behavior Behavioral beliefs o Beliefs about the outcomes of the behavior Attitudes toward the behavior o Positive or negative evaluation of self performance and value of the particular behavior Attitudes would be concerned with would performing the action be Behavioral belief would be concerned with the consequences of positive or negative engaging in the behavior May have negative attitudes about safety belts but positive behaviors because they like the safety One or two beliefs that are strongly held may provide greater influence on attitudes and intentions than many other beliefs that are not strongly held Beliefs may or may not be based on facts Allow us to compartmentalize an object or behavior Beliefs about the objective are balanced by expected outcomes of actually engaging in the behavior o Anticipated outcomes of a particular behavior Beliefs about the extent to which referents approve or disapprove or disapprove of the behavior perceptions of social pressure on behavior They are what the actor perceives them to be Subjective norms Normative beliefs are the subjective evaluation of the prevalence and acceptability of a behavior Are perceptions about social approval If we believe that a behavior is common especially among our peers we may be more likely to approve of and engage in that behavior We have a limited experience and tend to overestimate the prevalence of something occurring Norms are typically measured in terms of the percentage of group members engaging in the behavior The more common a behavior is perceived to be the easier it is to behave that way because the social norms support it Subjective norms or injunctive norms are the expectations that o Will act on a behavior based on how it will change people s others have for you perceptions of you Motivation to comply behavior o How much the actor values the opinions of particular object or o Motivation to comply refers to how valued the opinions of various referents are with respect to a particular behavior Attitudes toward smoking would be made up of beliefs about the object of smoking its prevalence and acceptability and the expected outcomes of actually smoking Some beliefs about smoking may be more important than beliefs about health o Beliefs about the prevalence or who else is doing it If I believe that smoking causes lung cancer but that I wont get lung cancer from smoking then my attitudes and intentions regarding smoking will be influenced Theory of Planned Behavior The theory of planned behavior adds to the TRA with Perceived Behavioral Control It s the product of attitudes toward the behavior Perceived behavioral control is an overall assessment of conditional aspects of the behavior that would enable or inhibit the engaging in behavior Beliefs about the environment and the extent to which the actor believes he or se has control over the behavior under particular circumstances the ease or difficulty of engaging in the behavior Two sets of belief make up perceived behavioral control perceived control and perceived power o Control beliefs Concerned with the likelihood of the occurrences of facilitating and constraining conditions o Perceived power Concerned with strength of the facilitating and inhibiting factors the estimation of the importance or strength of the environmental conditions Perceptions that certain conditions will make performing the behavior easier or harder contribute to overall perceptions of control and intent Related to the locus of control and self efficacy Issues with TRA and TPB Propose highly elaborate measurement of beliefs