Moderating Role of Control in the Theory of Planned Behavior: A Replication and Extension [Dataset]

Research inspired by the theory of planned behavior (TPB; Ajzen, 1991) has typically treated attitude (ATT), subjective norm (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) as independent predictors of intention. However, theoretically, PBC moderates the effects of attitude and subjective norm on intention (Ajzen, 1985). Recently, La Barbera (2018) has found an unexpected negative effect of PBC on the relation between SN and INT, such that SN influenced intention only when PBC was low. One possible interpretation of these results is that individuals who have a high sense of mastery over a given behavior may be less influenced by social pressure. However, the studies were all conducted with convenience samples in Italy. One major main aim of the current study is to replicate these findings in cross-national samples. An additional aim is to examine the interactions between different dimensions of PBC, namely autonomy and capacity, and the two SN factors (injunctive and descriptive norms) highlighted by previous TPB research.