The project described in this thesis was designed to investigate HIV preventive behaviour in heterosexual adolescents from a social-cognitive perspective. The project consisted of three studies. The design of each study was guided by a theory of human decision making, the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA), and its extension, the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). In the first phase, an elicitation study was conducted in which characteristics of the population were identified. This study consisted of a series of semi-structured interviews in which participants' sexual behaviours, beliefs and normative influences were elicited. This information was required in order to enable studies two and three to target beliefs and behaviours relevant to the population being examined. In the second study, a large-scale survey of 417 university aged adolescents was conducted. This study was designed, primarily, to examine quantitatively the determinants of safe sex intentions and behaviours within the targeted population. Determinants of behaviour examined were those included in the TRA/TPB. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to determine the amount of variance in safe sex intentions and behaviours accounted for by TRA/TPB variables. In addition, a number of methodological issues related to criticisms of the TRA/TPB in the context of prediction of sexual behaviours were investigated. These issues included the utility of examining preference for alternative safe sex strategies in accounting for non-use of condoms, the importance of considering behaviour change as a process rather than an outcome, the importance of heat of the moment decision-making in the prediction of condom use behaviour, and the importance of consistent specification of partner type in survey instruments examining condom use behaviour. The third phase of the project consisted of an intervention study designed to modify HIV-risk related beliefs and behaviours. Design and evaluation of the intervention were guided by the TRA/TPB. The intervention was conducted using 102 participants, randomly assigned to intervention or control conditions. Methodological issues examined in study 2 were further explored in this study. Overall, it was found that the Theories of Reasoned Action and Planned Behaviour provided a useful framework for understanding, predicting, and modifying HIV-related sexual behaviours. The theories were found to explain between 67 and 73% of variance in condom use intentions, and between 52 and 55% of variance in behaviour. The theories were also found to be applicable to other safe sex behaviours with 50% of variance accounted for in monogamy intentions, and 34% of variance explained in behaviour, and 40% of the variance in non-penetrative sexual intentions, but only 6% of variance in non-penetrative sexual behaviour explained. In addition, a behaviour modification intervention based on the theories was found to lead to change in both predictor variables and behaviours, relative to controls. These changes were maintained over a 6-month follow-up period. That is, a series of mixed factorial Analyses of Variance revealed that the percentage of encounters in which a condom was used was significantly greater for the four weeks prior to follow-up compared with the four weeks prior to the intervention. In addition, the number of 'slip-ups' into unsafe behaviours was found to be significantly less. Change in TRA/TPB predictor variables which accompanied these behavioural changes included increased perceptions of behavioural control, more positive attitudes towards sexuality and safe sex behaviours, and more positive normative perceptions. These results were seen to provide strong support for the theories of reasoned action and planned behaviour and for their relevance to the study of HIV-preventive behaviour. However, prediction of safe sex behaviours was found to be enhanced in most cases by consideration of the methodological issues explored in each study. Thus, it was found that consideration of safe sex strategies other than condom use and the type of partner with whom the behaviour was occurring were important in both the prediction and evaluation of efforts to modify condom use behaviour. In addition, prediction of condom use behaviour and evaluation of intervention effects were enhanced by the consideration of behaviour change as a stage-like process, rather than as an all or nothing outcome. Results relating to the importance of heat of the moment decision making were less clear, and further research is recommended to clarify the issue. Overall, these results have important implications for safe sex education, and should be considered in efforts to modify unsafe behaviour as well as efforts to evaluate the effects of this modification.

Background: Systembolaget is one of the distinctive features of Sweden. It is the only store allowed to sell alcohol above 3.5% of alcohol by volume. The aim of this government-owned company is to educate Swedish customers to engage into responsible drinking patterns. To do so, they make use of advertising strategies depicted on several channels with the purpose of increasing individuals’ knowledge and thus, enhance public health. Besides, Scandinavian cultures are associated with high-risk behaviours regarding the average amount of alcohol drunk. Several studies underlined that students regularly engage into binge drinking and other irresponsible behaviours. Purpose: The aim of this study is to emphasize the effect of Systembolaget’s communication strategy on the attitudes, intentions, and behaviour of Swedish students. To fill the research gap and fulfil the objectives, a combination of the Health-Belief Model and the Theory of Reasoned Action is an adequate mean. Method: To gather the material needed for the research and uncover new insights, we chose an exploratory design. The semi-inductive approach allows to investigate the theoretical concepts while being able to use induction and thus, use the theory to both collect and analyse the data. We conducted semi-structured personal interviews on a sample of 20 Swedish students since they are familiar with Systembolaget and considered as a high-risk population in the drinking habits. To distil the data, we selected content analysis allowing the categorisation of the information in the different theoretical concepts. Conclusion: Systembolaget’s communication has a notable effect on Swedish students. It has been uncovered that the messages create favourable attitudes and thus, intentions to reduce alcohol consumption. Nevertheless, individual experiences, beliefs, and other factors of influence imply that there is an important intention-behaviour gap. Systembolaget displays information and appeals to influence the beliefs and knowledge of individual to educate them and not directly triggers specific behaviours.

Software piracy, the illegal and unauthorized duplication, sale, or distribution of software, is a widespread and costly phenomenon. According to the Business Software Alliance, more than one third of the PC software packages installed worldwide in 2006 were unauthorized copies. This behavior costs the software industry billions of lost dollars in revenue annually. Software piracy behavior has been investigated for more than thirty years. However, there are two voids in the literature: lack of studies in Non-Western countries and scarcity of process studies. As such, this study contributes to the literature by developing a software piracy model to understand the decision making process that underlies this illegal behavior among Jordanian university students. Based on a literature review in various disciplines, including social psychology, psychology, and criminology, several important variables have been incorporated into the proposed model. The model was tested using data collected from a sample of 323 undergraduate business students. The resulting data was analyzed by two main statistical techniques, structural equation modeling (SEM) and hierarchical multiple regression. The results indicated that the model was useful in predicting students' intention to pirate software. Seven out of eight hypotheses were supported. Consistent with The Theory of Reasoned Action, attitudes toward software piracy and subjective norms were significant predictors of intention to pirate software. However, our findings are inconsistent with previous studies with regard to the relative importance of attitude and subjective norms; subjective norms had a stronger effect. Also, the results suggested that ethical ideology, public self-consciousness, and low self-control moderated the effect of these variables on intention to pirate software. Lastly, the results indicated that the effect of subjective norms on afintention to pirate software was both direct and indirect through attitudes. The results have important practical implications for the software industry and governments to curtail software piracy. Limitations of the study and recommendations for future studies are discussed as well.

Today, intrauterine devices (IUDs) are used by over 100 million women worldwide, making it the most popular reversible method of birth control. Approximately only 2% of American women, however, choose to use this method of birth control. The purpose of this study was to explore clinical services providers' (CSP) behavioral intention to provide the IUD. An instrument based on the theory of reasoned action (TRA) surveyed National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health (NPWH). A total of 695 participants appropriately completed the survey, resulting in approximately a 30% response rate. Pearson Product Moment Correlations assessed the linear relationship(s) among summed scales and individual instrument items. Hierarchical regression identified the level of variance accounted for by TRA scales and the knowledge scale. Consistent with TRA tenets, statistically significant associations were found among TRA constructs and behavioral intention; whereas knowledge, while a statistically significantly correlated variable with behavioral intention, was not a predictor of behavioral intention. Future research should continue to explore factors of IUDs use, including those not a part of TRA. Health educators should plan programs to assist in health information delivery, and develop social marketing campaigns to help women seeking family planning services become effective consumers of health information about IUDs.

Purpose – This thesis aimed at investigating students’ beliefs influencing their personal attitudes and subjective norms not to choose the accounting profession by using the simplified Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) model. Theoretical framework – This study used the simplified TRA model to investigate the beliefs that influence students not to choose the accounting profession. From an accounting context, prior research has indicated that, there are intrinsic and extrinsic factors that determine the behavioural beliefs of students about the accounting profession. Likewise, normative beliefs are another construct of the simplified TRA model that influences students’ intentions towards the accounting profession. Methodology – Through a quantitative approach, questionnaires were sent electronically to first and second year students at five major universities in Sweden. In total, 323 students replied to the questionnaire. Since this study focused on students intending to choose business administration, non-business administration students were deleted from the sample giving an actual sample size of 228. The data collected was analyzed in two steps using multiple regression analysis. Findings – The findings of the study confirmed the simplified TRA model. The results showed that both behavioural and normative beliefs influenced students’ intentions not to choose the accounting profession. For behavioral beliefs, no personal interest in accounting, the belief that accounting is boring and the belief that other occupations (for instance, marketing and management) negatively influenced students’ attitudes not to choose the accounting profession. Similarly, for normative beliefs, teachers and peers influenced students’ subjective norms not to choose the accounting profession. Practical implications – The practical implications of this study are two-folded. Firstly, program directors at universities should engage in hiring qualified teachers in accounting, organize supportive activities to encourage students about the accounting profession. Also, program directors should include compulsory internships in the curriculum so that students can learn about the accounting profession. Secondly, former accounting students should get involved in the process of encouraging students about the accounting profession. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the existing literature by highlighting the beliefs influencing the personal attitudes and subjective norms of students not to choose the accounting profession. Therefore, the thesis provides an up-to-date theory about the TRA in the accounting profession in Sweden.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Hotel, Restaurant, Institution Management & Dietetics / Ki-Joon Back / Understanding association members’ meeting participation behaviors is the key to the well-attended meeting, which is a common goal of both associations and host destinations. However, little research has contributed to theoretical development in this area, and the lack of a theoretical framework has negatively influenced the validity of existing research. Thus, this study attempted to explain association members’ meeting participation behaviors, using a conceptually sound model of meeting participation, which was developed based on existing human behavior theories: the theory of reasoned action (TRA) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Another main objective of this study was to test the validity of the meeting participation model (MPM). By comparing the utility of three competing models (TRA, TPB, and MPM), this study confirmed the effectiveness of the meeting participation model (MPM) in explaining association members’ intentions to attend the annual meeting. The proposed meeting participation model was empirically examined using the data collected from 245 members of the International Council on Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional Education (CHRIE). The results of model development revealed that the MPM fits the data very well, providing a systematic view of the decision-making process of association meeting participation. In addition, the findings of the model comparison using the structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that all three competing models successfully provide a theoretical base for understanding association members’ meeting participation behaviors. Specifically, the MPM provided a fuller understanding of meeting participation intention by adding two predictor variables (destination image and past meeting participation experience) to the TPB. This study is the first research effort to investigate what makes association members attend, or not attend, association meetings based on theoretical frameworks. TRA and TPB provided the necessary theoretical ground to develop the meeting participation model (MPM). By adding a domain specific predictor variable (destination image) and a non-volitional habitual construct (past experience) to the original latent constructs conceptualized in pure TRA/TPB models, the MPM emerged as a theoretically strong and parsimonious framework for understanding association members’ meeting participation behaviors. The results of the current study present a strong step toward providing practical as well as theoretical implications for future convention research.

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A catch-related attitude measurement scale is used for discerning an angler’s evaluation of catching fish in four constructs (catching something, catching numbers, catching large fish, and retaining fish) in two studies. The first study was of resident (in-state) and nonresident (out-of-state) anglers at Sardis and Grenada reservoirs and the second was of hand grabblers and rod and reel catfish anglers. In the first study at Sardis Reservoir, there were no differences in catch-related attitudes between groups. At Grenada Reservoir, there were differences between groups toward catching large fish and retaining fish. In the second study, hand grabblers had stronger attitudes toward catching large fish than rod and reel catfish anglers but rod and reel catfish anglers had stronger attitudes toward catching numbers. Knowledge of catch-related attitudes can lead to more palatable regulations that enhance angler satisfaction and ultimately retain and recruit new and lapsed anglers.

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