This theory helps explain what makes people go from intention to action. It posits that behaviors are planned and therefore can be predicted. If someone evaluates an intended behavior as positive and they believe other people in their group want them or approve of them performing that behavior, they will have a stronger motivation to act and they’ll be more likely to do it. People are also much more likely to intend to act on behaviors if they feel they can do them successfully. The person’s attitude, perceived behavioral control and the subjective norms all shape a person’s behavioral intentions. “A tenet of TPB is that behavioral intention is the most proximal determinant of human social behavior.” This theory can help predict if a person will perform certain behaviors.
Citation: Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior. In Action control (11-39). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg.