Theory of planned behaviour

The theory of planned behaviour says that what we think and feel about something affects whether we decide to do it.

If we want to do something, we need to think about it first. We need to believe that it is something we can do, and something that we want to do. We also need to believe that it is something that other people will approve of, and that it is something that will have good consequences.

So, let's say that you want to eat a cookie. You need to think about it carefully. First, you need to believe that you can eat the cookie. You need to know where it is, and you need to be able to reach it. You also need to believe that eating the cookie is a good idea. Maybe it's your favorite flavor, or maybe you're really in the mood for something sweet. Secondly, you need to believe that other people will approve of you eating the cookie. If your parents or friends tell you not to eat any cookies, you might not want to do it. Finally, you need to believe that eating the cookie won't have any bad consequences, like making you feel sick.

All of these beliefs add up to your attitude towards eating the cookie. If your attitude is positive (you believe that you can do it, you want to do it, other people approve of it, and it won't have any bad consequences), then you are more likely to eat the cookie. If your attitude is negative (you don't believe that you can do it or it won't have good consequences, or other people won't approve of it), then you are less likely to eat the cookie.

The theory of planned behaviour also says that our beliefs are influenced by other people. If we see other people doing something, or if we think other people will approve or disapprove of what we do, then that can change our attitude towards something.

So, if your best friend loves cookies and always eats them, you might start to believe that cookies are a good thing. If your parents tell you that cookies are unhealthy and you shouldn't eat them, you might start to believe that cookies are a bad thing.

Overall, the theory of planned behaviour suggests that our attitudes towards something (whether we want to do it or not) are influenced by various beliefs that we have about it, and these beliefs are influenced by other people. If we want to do something, we need to think carefully about it and believe that it is something we can do, something we want to do, something that other people approve of, and something that won't have any bad consequences.