Two Minds Blog

The  Theory of Planned Behavior , originally proposed in 1967 by psychologists Izak Ajzen and Martin Fishbein as the  Theory of Reasoned Action , remains one of the most widely-used psychological theories in the field of health behavior today. It's a classic for a reason -- its predictions have held up in hundreds of studies, it is intuitively appealing, and it is complex enough that much research can still be done around the edges. I have used the Theory of Planned Behavior  in my own research , and I recently worked with two junior colleagues who are using it as the basis for their papers or grant applications. I truly do admire this model. The only problem, as I hope to demonstrate, is that it doesn't predict behavior. The basic theory, shown at the top of the page, proposes that people hold three different types of attitudes about a health behavior, and that each of these affects their level of intention to engage in the behavior. People's intentions are then expected...

People are fond of talking about social media use as an " addiction ," and even describe the process of weaning ourselves off using it as " withdrawal ." Research does suggest that social media use can produce a dopamine release in the brain's reward centers, and that it is particularly appealing for people (a) who have a generally less organized approach to life [low "conscientiousness" personality trait], and/or (b) have higher than normal levels of narcissism. Extroverts and introverts can both be heavy social media users, although for different reasons: Extroverts do it to enhance their self-perception or their own reputation, while introverts do it to compensate for difficulty connecting with people in other ways.  Excessive social media use does have some documented negative effects, particularly for adolescents in terms of sleep deprivation, impaired academic performance, and increased suicidal ideation or behavior. High levels of social media...