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The Dimensional Structure of the Perceived Behavioral Control Construct 1
Author(s) -
Sparks Paul,
Guthrie Carol A.,
Shepherd Richard
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of applied social psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.822
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1559-1816
pISSN - 0021-9029
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-1816.1997.tb00639.x
Subject(s) - operationalization , conceptualization , psychology , theory of planned behavior , construct (python library) , perceived control , control (management) , social psychology , consumption (sociology) , computer science , social science , philosophy , epistemology , artificial intelligence , sociology , programming language
Following concerns in the literature about the conceptualization and operationalization of the perceived behavioral control (PBC) construct within the Theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1985, 1991). 2 studies were conducted to examine whether questionnaire items explicitly assessing perceived difficulty and perceived control issues would attract a different pattern of responses. In applications of the theory of planned behavior to the reduction of red meat consumption and the reduction of potato chip (French fries) consumption, Principal Components Analysis showed that items reflecting perceived difficulty and items reflecting perceived control loaded onto different components. Furthermore, measures of perceived difficulty and not measures of perceived control contributed independent predictive effects in multiple regressions of respondents' behavioral intentions to make the dietary changes.