Behavior Management Theories: TPB, HBT, and Applications

Introduction to Behavior Management Theories

Behavior management theories provide frameworks for understanding, predicting, and changing human behavior. The most prominent of these follow a cognitive approach, centering on individuals' beliefs, values, and intentions. Two widely discussed models — the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Health Belief Theory — are examined below, along with a critical analysis of their limitations and their application to educational practice.

The Theory of Planned Behavior

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is one of the most commonly cited and applied behavior management theories. It belongs to a carefully interrelated family of concepts that follows a cognitive approach to describing behavior, centered on individuals' actions and values. The TPB evolved from the Theory of Reasoned Action, which posited that intention to act is the best predictor of behavior. Intention itself results from a combination of attitudes toward behavior — that is, a positive or negative assessment of the behavior and its predicted outcomes — and subjective norms, which are the social pressures placed on a person based on their perceptions of what others think they should do and their tendency to conform to those expectations. The TPB added a third set of factors influencing both intention and behavior: perceived behavioral control. This refers to the perceived difficulty or ease with which a person will be able to perform the behavior, and is closely analogous to the concept of self-efficacy (Dunlap, 2012).

The TPB is designed for forecasting behavior and for retrospective evaluation of behavior. It has been widely applied in educational contexts. Evidence indicates that the TPB can account for 20–30% of the variance in behavior introduced through teaching methods, and a higher percentage of variance in intention (Hughes & Hall, 2009). Strong associations have been found between behavior and both the attitudes toward the behavior and the perceived behavioral control elements of the model. To date, only weak associations have been found between behavior and subjective norms; however, this is most likely a methodological problem, and the few studies that measured subjective norms properly demonstrate reasonably strong associations with behavior.

The TPB is not generally regarded as useful for designing or developing the teaching methods that will produce behavior change. Using the model to describe and predict likely behavior may, however, be a valuable method for identifying influences on behavior that could be targeted for change (Wilmshurst, 2005). Even when researchers use the TPB to inform teaching approaches, they tend to view the model as most useful for identifying cognitive targets for change, rather than for providing direct recommendations on how those cognitions might be modified.

The Health Belief Theory

The Health Belief Theory (HBT) is a cognitive model that posits behavior is determined by a set of beliefs about the risks to a person's well-being and the effectiveness and consequences of particular actions or behaviors. Some formulations of the theory also incorporate self-efficacy alongside these beliefs about action. These beliefs are further activated by additional stimulating factors known as "cues to action," which prompt the actual adoption of a behavior. Perceived risk is central to the HBT, as it is tied to an individual's readiness to act. It encompasses two sets of beliefs: the individual's perceived susceptibility to a risk and the anticipated severity of the consequences that may result from it. The perceived benefits associated with a behavior — that is, its likely effectiveness in reducing the risk — are weighed against the perceived costs and adverse consequences of adopting it (perceived barriers), such as negative experiences with teaching methods, to determine the overall degree to which the behavior is worthwhile. The person's perceived capacity to adopt the behavior, or self-efficacy, is a further key component of the theory. Finally, the HBT recognizes two types of "cues to action": internal cues, which in a learning context include signs of a lack of understanding, and external cues, such as exposure to new information. These cues shape the perception of risk and can trigger or sustain behavior (Hughes & Hall, 2009).

The reverse is also true: when an individual perceives a risk as minor or believes they are not susceptible to it, they are unlikely to adopt mitigating behaviors. Low perceived benefits and high perceived costs can have the same deterrent effect. Although developed within a health and learning context, the HBT has been applied to other areas of behavior, such as recycling, and is most appropriate for describing or predicting behavioral patterns. However, formal reviews have found that it has limited predictive power, suggesting it can predict only approximately 10% of behavioral variance (Wolfendale, 2010). The literature indicates that, of the HBT's components, perceived barriers are the most important factor in determining behavior. Two recognized criticisms of the model are that its elements and the proposed relationships among them are not well defined, and that it does not incorporate social, financial, or habitual (subconscious) dimensions of behavior, which are generally considered at least as important as the individual, cognitive dimensions.

References

Dunlap, L. L. (2012). What all children need: Theory and application. University Press of America.

Ellis, S., & Tod, J. (2013). Behaviour for learning: Proactive approaches to behaviour management. Routledge.

Florian, L., & Hegarty, J. (2007). ICT and special educational needs. McGraw-Hill International.

Henley, M. (2010). Classroom management: A proactive approach. Pearson.

Hughes, J. N., & Hall, R. J. (2009). Cognitive-behavioral psychology in the schools: A comprehensive handbook. Guilford Press.

Wilmshurst, L. (2005). Essentials of child psychopathology. John Wiley & Sons.

Wolfendale, S. (2010). Special needs in the early years: Snapshots of practice. Psychology Press.