Theory of reasoned action

‘People perform a behaviour because they intend to do so, they have the requisite skills and abilities and there are no environmental constraints to prevent them from carrying out their intentions.’ (Martin Fishbein)

Every once in a while we encounter an idea that sparks our interest. One such for me was Icek Ajzen and Martin Fishbein’s Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). I remember when a psychologist shared Stephen Covey's insight that we often judge others by their behaviour but ourselves by our intentions. It was an idea from attribution theory that set me thinking about the relationship between intention and action more broadly. It seemed to resonate with various theories of motivation. It also reminded me of the proverb, ‘The road to hell is paved with good intentions.’

TRA looks at what influences whether (or not) we are likely to enact an intention. To ground this personally, consider the last time you made a New Year’s Resolution or similar commitment and whether you followed through on it (or not). (For any readers with interest in a spiritual dimension to this theme, see Jesus’ teaching, reflected in Paul’s). I know that my own life story is a mixed picture: sometimes making a commitment and sticking with it; sometimes sticking with it for a while before giving up; sometimes never even getting off the starting block.
​
So, TRA in a nutshell. Key questions: How convinced am I the action will achieve the desired result? How far does achieving that result matter to me? How much do people that matter to me want me to do this? How far does their opinion matter to me? Is this something my peers are also doing? How difficult do I believe any obstacles on route are likely to be? How confident am I that I can overcome them? According to TRA, a high score against any or all of these questions is likely to increase my motivation and determination to complete. What do you think?