An Analysis of Martin Fishbeins Theory of Reasoned Action

Later on behavior appeared not to be 100% voluntary and under control, this resulted in the addition of perceived behavioral control. † Gordon Allport formulated a definition that â€Å"attitudes are learned predispositions to respond to an object or class of objects in a consistently favorable or unfavorable way. † In other words, an attitude is a person’s overall evaluation of a concept. The theory of reasoned action, stated by Ajzen and Fishbein, suggests that if a person intends to carry out a behavior, it is likely that they will do so. Attitudes are always weighted by evaluations of a person’s beliefs. Another example, which highlights peoples beliefs, relates to sports; Sports may be good for one’s health, Sports may be time consuming, Sports may be a strain and uncomfortable. All of these beliefs are weighted. Henry Assael (1983) agreed with the theories and stated how these ‘attitudes’ can be used to predict consumer behavior. The marketing strategy looks at predicting consumer behavior, and attitudes are key in order for a firm to help predict consumer’s behavior. This therefore gives the firm a competitive advantage over their rivals. Thus, Ajzen and Fishbein’s theory is very feasible and can be applied to everyday life. The idea however, was rejected by Sheppard et al. (1988), who made several limiting conditions that proved the idea was false. The distinction was made between a goal intention and a behavioral intention. Goal intentions would look into the long term, for example, getting into the rugby team. A behavior would be attending training. Sheppard also looked at the availability of alternatives and opportunity cost. Choice had an impact on the TRA theory, as it may alter the performance of a certain behavior. Finally he stated that there are times when there is a significant different between what a person intends to do, and what he/she is expected to do. Subjective norm does not account for individual differences. Some people may choose not to consult parents or friends about their decision to carry out a behavior. There are numerous individuals who will feel more comfortable making decisions without their family or peer group, and there are also people who may find it impossible to make a decision about ‘giving up alcohol’ without discussing it with others. Subjective norm therefore may not be as feasible as evaluation of outcome. This process requires the individual to make his/her own assumptions and attitudes about the behavior, and this process is nearly almost carried about by everyone. Not all parts of the theory are essential in the process one makes to carry out a behavior. The ‘Belief in strength of outcome’ and ‘evaluation of outcome’ are the two most important aspects. In the conscious mind, these are the two significant processes that usually occur. People, who are considering drinking alcohol on a night out, will only usually consider the pros and cons of that decision. It is rare for individuals to take matters even further and consult friends or parents about the matter. Subjective norm therefore is usually canceled out in low involving decisions like drinking alcohol. ‘Intention’ may also play a limiting role in the decision to drink alcohol. Behavioral upbringing may have a contributing effect, however the decision usually relates to the situation in which that person is, for example, on a night out, or having dinner at home. The person may be more inclined to drink alcohol on a night out, and may choose to have a soft drink with dinner. Individuals usually take into consideration the time and place, and don’t depend as much on the norms of their upbringing. Hale et al. (2003), backs up this idea, that the TRA excludes a wide range of behaviors such as spontaneity, cravings and habits, and states that â€Å"engaging in these behaviors might not involve a conscious decision on the part of the actor. † To conclude, the theory lacks external reliability, as some behaviors are not used to produce an outcome. However Fishbein and Ajzen created a theory, which can be applied to purchasing behavior of consumers, and thus can be applied to everyday life. 2. Do you think that consumers approach the purchase of products in the seemingly reasoned way outlined above? Give examples to illustrate your thoughts. Many consumers will use the processes outline by Fishbein and Ajzen when purchasing a high involvement product that takes careful thought. However consumers will sometimes use impulse buying for the purchase of products. â€Å"Impulse buying: Spur of the moment, unplanned decision to buy, made just before a purchase. Research findings suggest that emotions and feelings play a decisive role in purchasing, triggered by seeing the product or upon exposure to a well-crafted promotional message. † Impulse buying therefore cancels out behaviors such as evaluation of outcome and subjective norm. A second reason why this theory does not account for all consumer purchases, relates to operant conditioning. This method of learning occurs through rewards and punishments for a certain behavior. Through this process, an association is created between the behavior and a consequence of it. For example; if a chocolate bar goes on offer and has a discount of 50%, a consumer is more than likely to purchase this item. Once a positive association is created with the chocolate, the consumer will more than likely purchase it again. Skinner used the term operant to refer to any active behavior that operates upon the environment to generate consequences (1953). Classical conditioning, which was discovered by Ivan Pavlov, suggested that it’s a learning process, which occurs through associations between an environmental stimulus and a naturally occurring stimulus. The unconditioned stimulus, is something, which triggers a response. In Pavlov’s experiments, his dogs smelt food and the result was salivation. This then produced an unconditioned response, which is an unlearnt response to the unconditioned stimulus. The smell of food would either produce salivation or the feeling of being hungry.