Incorporating Culture into the Theory of Planned Behavior: Predicting Smoking Cessation Intentions among College Students

Abstract

The validity of the theory of planned behavior is quite well established in the literature. Thus, the goals of this study were to apply the theory of planned behavior to college student smokers and to test the addition of self-construals to the theory of planned behavior (specifically in predicting perceived behavioral control and subjective norms). Current college-aged smokers were surveyed on the key predictive components of the theory of planned behavior and their self-construals. In support of the theory of planned behavior, perceived behavioral control and subjective norms were significantly related to intention to quit smoking. However, attitude toward quitting smoking failed to significantly predict intention to quit smoking. A good fit was found for a modified theory of planned behavior model with self-construals. Interdependent self-construal was linked to subjective norms, which predicted intention to quit smoking. Independent self-construal was linked to perceived behavioral control, which predicted intention to quit smoking. Further research delineating other cultural antecedents of variables identified in the theory of planned behavior is required, as well as investigation into the potential of the modified model used in this study as a culturally sensitive framework for intervention.