Response Bias and the Theory of Reasoned Action

Abstract

Evidence is reviewed that suggests that requiring a person to complete an attitude questionnaire often causes the person to construct an attitude where none existed prior to attitude measurement. This finding is extrapolated, and it is hypothesized that requiring a person to complete a questionnaire that measures the components of Fishbein's (1980) theory of reasoned action may cause that person to construct evaluative beliefs, attitudes, subjective norms, normative beliefs, and intentions, in a way that follows the predictions of Fishbein's (1980) theory. This hypothesis was tested using two alternative formats of a questionnaire that measured the components of the theory of reasoned action for three health-related behaviors. It was demonstrated that the format of the questionnaire used to measure the model's components affected the strength of the relationships between these components. The implications of these results are discussed with respect to both attitude research and broader theoretical issues.