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Q1
What is the main construct that the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) seeks to explain?
B
Human behavior from the perspective of intentions
C
Organizational policies
D
Self-determination in groups
Correct Answer: B
A: Incorrect – Decision fatigue is not part of TPB's scope.
B: Correct – TPB is focused on explaining human behavior through intentions.
C: Incorrect – TPB is a psychological, not policy-focused, theory.
D: Incorrect – That concept aligns more closely with SDT.
Q2
Which of the following is NOT one of the three core predictors of intention in the Theory of Planned Behavior?
A
Attitudes toward the behavior
D
Perceived behavioral control
Correct Answer: C
A: Incorrect – This is a core predictor.
B: Incorrect – This is a core predictor.
C: Correct – Personal urgency appears in a related study but is not one of the three main constructs.
D: Incorrect – This is a core predictor.
Q3
According to TPB, what is a behavioral belief?
A
A belief about whether others approve of the behavior
B
A belief about the ease or difficulty of performing a behavior
C
A belief about the likely outcomes of a behavior
D
A belief about the costs associated with a behavior
Correct Answer: C
A: Incorrect – This refers to normative beliefs.
B: Incorrect – This relates to control beliefs.
C: Correct – Behavioral beliefs are subjective probabilities about outcomes.
D: Incorrect – Cost is not a technical term used in TPB.
Q4
In TPB, subjective norm refers to:
A
Individual moral conviction
B
Social pressure to perform or not perform a behavior
C
A culture's collective value system
Correct Answer: B
A: Incorrect – TPB doesn't focus on internal moral codes.
B: Correct – This is the definition of subjective norm in TPB.
C: Incorrect – This is too broad and sociological.
D: Incorrect – Groupthink is a separate phenomenon.
Q5
What distinguishes perceived behavioral control from self-efficacy according to Ajzen?
D
Statistical correlations
Correct Answer: B
A: Incorrect – Ajzen notes they are conceptually the same.
B: Correct – He distinguishes them based on how they're measured.
C: Incorrect – This is unrelated to the theoretical distinction.
D: Incorrect – Correlations may differ, but they are not the main point.
Q6
Which of the following is an example of a control belief?
A
I believe this behavior is morally wrong
B
I believe most of my peers would disapprove
C
I believe I have the time and skills to do this
D
I believe this behavior aligns with my goals
Correct Answer: C
A: Incorrect – This refers to attitudes or moral beliefs.
B: Incorrect – This refers to subjective norms.
C: Correct – Control beliefs relate to resources and barriers.
D: Incorrect – This would relate to attitude toward the behavior.
Q7
According to Ajzen, what does a strong intention usually predict?
A
Rejection of social norms
Correct Answer: B
A: Incorrect – This is unrelated.
B: Correct – Strong intentions are linked to behavior enactment.
C: Incorrect – Self-esteem is not central to TPB.
D: Incorrect – TPB does not focus on moral frameworks.
Q8
What distinguishes control beliefs from behavioral beliefs in TPB?
A
Behavioral beliefs are involuntary, control beliefs are not
B
Control beliefs are about outcomes; behavioral beliefs are about resources
C
Behavioral beliefs are about outcomes; control beliefs are about resources and barriers
D
There is no distinction; they are synonymous
Correct Answer: C
A: Incorrect – TPB does not focus on voluntariness
B: Incorrect – This reverses the definitions
C: Correct – Behavioral beliefs link to expected outcomes, control beliefs to capability and context.
D: Incorrect – They are distinct constructs.
Q9
Which of the following illustrates the concept of subjective norm in an organizational context?
A
A leader deciding based on legal precedent
B
A supervisor pressuring a subordinate to support a proposal
C
An employee’s personal values about justice
D
A time-saving technique influencing decision speed
Correct Answer: B
A: Incorrect – Legal precedent does not necessarily indicate social pressure
B: Correct – Social pressure is the essence of subjective norm
C: Incorrect – This aligns more with attitude
D: Incorrect – This relates to control, not norm.
Q10
Why might self-reported intentions not always predict behavior accurately?
A
Intentions change with age
B
Respondents may lie due to social desirability
C
People forget their intentions
D
Behavioral beliefs are usually incorrect
Correct Answer: B
A: Incorrect – Age is not a central factor in TPB
B: Correct – Social desirability bias can distort self-reports
C: Incorrect – This is speculative
D: Incorrect – TPB assumes beliefs are subjective, not “correct” or “incorrect.”
Q11
How did the trust and time pressure study extend TPB?
A
By adding organizational culture as a fourth predictor
B
By treating trust as a binary trait
C
By applying the intention-behavior distinction to trust
D
By dismissing the theory's behavioral focus
Correct Answer: C
A: Incorrect – Culture was not added
B: Incorrect – The study did not reduce trust to a binary
C: Correct – The study distinguished trust intent from behavior, echoing TPB’s framework.
D: Incorrect – It used, not rejected, the theory’s behavioral orientation.
Q12
What concept is conceptually the same as perceived behavioral control, according to Ajzen?
Correct Answer: C
A: Incorrect – Locus of control is broader and more trait-based
B: Incorrect – Motivation is a broader category
C: Correct – Ajzen acknowledged the conceptual overlap with self-efficacy
D: Incorrect – Self-monitoring relates to impression management.
Q13
In the TPB example involving a promotion decision, what reduced perceived behavioral control?
B
Impending promotion tied to supervisor’s preferences
C
New job responsibilities
D
Limited policy guidance
Correct Answer: B
A: Incorrect – Information was not the issue
B: Correct – Supervisor influence created external pressure, reducing perceived control.
C: Incorrect – Not discussed in this example
D: Incorrect – Policy was not a factor.
Q14
Which of the following best illustrates the feedback effect in TPB?
A
Conducting a follow-up interview to collect more data
B
Changing a belief after receiving a colleague's reaction to one’s behavior
C
Tracking hours spent on a task
D
Seeking external validation
Correct Answer: B
A: Incorrect – This is a methodological step
B: Correct – Feedback changes beliefs, which then shape future intentions.
C: Incorrect – This tracks behavior, not belief change
D: Incorrect – Seeking validation is not feedback per se.
Q15
Which of the following is a criticism of TPB?
A
It focuses too much on unconscious drives
B
It ignores emotions entirely
C
It confuses perceived behavioral control with self-efficacy
D
It is a sociological theory
Correct Answer: C
A: Incorrect – TPB emphasizes intention, a conscious process
B: Incorrect – Emotion is not central, but not ignored
C: Correct – Conceptual overlap with self-efficacy causes confusion..
D: Incorrect – It is a psychological theory.
Q16
If a behavior is under complete volitional control, which TPB construct becomes less predictive?
C
Perceived behavioral control
Correct Answer: C
A: Incorrect – Attitude remains relevant.
B: Incorrect – Subjective norm still plays a role.
C: Correct – Perceived behavioral control matters more when there are barriers to control.
D: Incorrect – This is the core predictor of behavior.
Q17
Which example best shows how social desirability bias could distort TPB results?
A
Respondents exaggerate how much they want to please others
B
Participants lie about how many times they exercised
C
Researchers confuse attitude with behavior
D
Responses include unrelated demographic data
Correct Answer: B
A: Incorrect – Wanting to please is not the distortion itself
B: Correct – Self-reported behaviors can be exaggerated to appear more favorable
C: Incorrect – This is a theoretical error, not bias
D: Incorrect – Irrelevant data is not the issue here.
Q18
What was the methodological contribution of the trust/time pressure study?
A
Rejected TPB’s core assumptions
B
Introduced experimental design to TPB
C
Applied intention-behavior distinction in novel context
D
Focused on attitude only
Correct Answer: C
A: Incorrect – The study was built on TPB assumptions
B: Incorrect – Experimental methods have already been used in TPB
C: Correct – It applied the intention-behavior distinction to trust
D: Incorrect – The study did not isolate attitude.
Q19
Which of the following would strengthen your use of TPB in a dissertation study?
A
Using unstructured interviews to infer intention
B
Clearly defining and separately measuring each TPB construct
C
Assuming all participants interpret control similarly
D
Ignoring social context to isolate attitudes
Correct Answer: B
A: Incorrect – Structured, validated measures are preferred
B: Correct – Clarity and separation enhance construct validity
C: Incorrect – Interpretations of control vary greatly
D: Incorrect – Social context is key to subjective norms.
Q20
In what situation might intention and behavior diverge most sharply?
A
When subjective norm and attitude align
B
When perceived control is low
C
When feedback reinforces intention
D
When beliefs are stable
Correct Answer: B
A: Incorrect – Alignment increases behavior-intention consistency
B: Correct – Lack of control can prevent behavior even with strong intentions
C: Incorrect – Feedback usually strengthens the link
D: Incorrect – Stable beliefs make intentions more predictive.
Application Questions
Application Q1
Explain how behavioral beliefs could influence a school leader's decision to implement a new discipline policy.
What beliefs might the leader hold?
Application Q2
Describe a situation in your dissertation research where perceived social pressure (subjective norm) may shape participant behavior.
How could you measure it?
Application Q3
Think of a behavior your research participants are expected to perform.
Identify possible control beliefs that might affect their intentions.
Application Q4
Based on the feedback effect described in TPB, how might previous behavior shape future intentions in your research context?
Application Q5
Consider a time when your own intentions and behavior didn't align.
How might TPB help explain the gap?
Application Q6
Identify a behavior you are studying that might be influenced by time pressure or personal urgency.
How can this be modeled within TPB?
Application Q7
How might you assess whether the subjective norm in your dissertation research arises from formal authority or peer influence?
Application Q8
If a participant in your dissertation research has a strong intention to behave in a certain way but doesn't follow through, what might TPB suggest you investigate?
Application Q9
Design a questionnaire item to measure perceived behavioral control for a behavior you're studying.
Application Q10
How might your research design address the theoretical confusion between perceived behavioral control and self-efficacy?
Application Q11
In a leadership setting, how might subjective norms from different power levels conflict? How would you study this?
Application Q12
Using TPB, develop a hypothesis related to voluntary turnover in your dissertation context.
Application Q13
What kinds of feedback loops (behavior influencing future intentions) could exist in your dissertation research's setting?
Application Q14
How could perceived behavioral control differ across cultural or socioeconomic groups in your participant sample?
Application Q15
Identify at least two practical interventions your study could suggest to shift behavioral intentions.
Application Q16
How might you justify TPB over other behavior theories for your dissertation?
Application Q17
Consider an alternative explanation for behavior in your dissertation research. How does TPB account for or miss this?
Application Q18
Draft an interview question that could help you qualitatively probe participants' control beliefs.
