Abstract:

The relationship of attitudes to behaviour remains a problematic area for social psychology and commercial research. This paper reports on a recent model of their relationship proposed by Professor Martin Fishbein of Illinois, which seems particularly suggestive for commercial research purposes. After a brief discussion of the Fishbein theory of attitude construction and measurement, a case study is presented which shows the value of the attitude measurements proposed for commercial research. The Fishboin theory of the relationship of attitudes to behaviour is then discussed and some evidence from case study is presented to show how the theory can be operationalised in the commercial field. The Fishbein 'method offers a means not only for discovering what are the consumer's clusters of beliefs, norms, attitudes about the product but also of understanding the structure of norms and attitudes and their relative importance in controlling behavioural intentions and behaviour.