In the Theory of Planned Behavior, which factor influences behavior intention?

In the Theory of Planned Behavior, the factors influencing behavioral intention are primarily attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. When we focus on attitudes and beliefs, we see that they play a crucial role in shaping an individual's intention to engage in a behavior. This means that if a person has a positive attitude toward a specific behavior, believing it will lead to favorable outcomes, they are more likely to intend to perform that behavior.

Attitudes reflect an individual’s evaluation of the behavior and can be significantly influenced by personal beliefs, experiences, and information. For example, if someone believes that exercising has numerous health benefits, their positive attitude towards working out will enhance their intention to do so. Hence, focusing on attitudes and beliefs accurately captures one of the core elements of intention in the Theory of Planned Behavior.

In contrast, while physical capability, social support, and past behavior are important in understanding overall behavior change, they do not directly shape intention in the same immediate manner that attitudes and beliefs do. Physical capability refers to one’s ability to perform a behavior, social support involves the influence of others, and past behavior reflects prior actions, all of which can indirectly affect intention but do not address the direct influence of one's perspectives and evaluations in the process of forming intentions