title: Predicting university undergraduates' binge-drinking behavior: a comparative test of the one- and two-component theories of planned behavior.
abstract: This study provides a comparative test of the one- and two-component theories of planned behavior (TPB) in the context of university undergraduates' binge-drinking. Participants (N=120) self-completed questionnaire measures of all TPB constructs at time 1 and subsequent binge-drinking at time 2 (two-weeks later). The data were analyzed using a combination of path analyses and bootstrapping procedures. Both models accounted for a substantial proportion of the variation in behavior. However, the two-component TPB provided a significantly better fit to the data, with the total direct and indirect effects accounting for 90% of the variance. Intention was the only direct predictor of behavior. Instrumental attitude, affective attitude and self-efficacy had indirect effects. Although health interventions could usefully target these cognitive antecedents, simulation analyses, modeling the effects of cognition change on behavior, showed that only large-sized (0.8 SD) changes to affective attitude, or moderate-sized changes to all of these cognitions in combination were sufficient to reduce binge-drinking.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychological Sciences and Health, University of Strathclyde, UK. mark.a.elliott@strath.ac.uk
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Kirsty
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ainsworth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D001290:Attitude; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012606:Scotland; D057566:Self Report; D012919:Social Behavior; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult