Looking to other areas of behaviour, it seems that workers in each field have invoked a similar range of ideas in trying to explain observed behaviour, often in a post hoc way, that these ideas are often specific to the area in question and that there is usually little or no agreement between workers within and between fields. Not everybody in health education warmed to their approach. But what Fishbein and Ajzen offer is a way of identifying which beliefs are relevant targets for evaluation. The Theory of Reasoned Action is essentially an extension of these ideas as applied to social influence. The approach to behaviour that Fishbein and Ajzen propose centres on the notion of 'reasoned action' and this goes some way to revealing their style.
Attitudes are relevant but hold no privileged position with regard to action.
This certainly prunes radically the bush of fig.5.1 and offers a refreshing clarity. If it can give us recommendations for health education so much the better. I will examine their approach in more detail. David Regis, School of Education, University of Exeter, 1990.