Impact of Attitude and Bounded Rationality on Collective Behavioral Transitions

TL;DR

This paper introduces a dynamic agent-based model integrating the theory of planned behavior to analyze how attitudes and rationality influence collective behavioral shifts over time.

Contribution

It develops a novel mathematical framework that captures the temporal evolution of TPB components and identifies key parameters controlling collective behavioral transitions.

Findings

Collective transitions can be controlled by attitude influence and decision rationality parameters.

The model provides quantitative insights into factors driving behavioral shifts.

Results highlight the importance of feedback mechanisms in social psychology models.

Abstract

The theory of planned behavior (TPB) is one of the most influential frameworks in social psychology, stating that a person's behavior is driven by intention, which is primarily shaped by attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. Despite its strong empirical support, TPB remains a static conceptual framework without explicit mathematical formulations that capture the temporal evolution of its components. To address this gap, we develop a dynamic agent-based modeling framework that integrates the core principles of TPB with a behavior-to-attitude feedback mechanism. Specifically, we define behaviors based on their feedback effects on attitude and examine when the population undergoes collective transitions by either adopting a beneficial behavior or rejecting a harmful one. Results from our model demonstrate that collective transitions can be effectively controlled by adjusting two key behavioral parameters that reflect agents' attitude influence and decision rationality. These findings provide quantitative insights on TPB, highlighting the key factors that drive collective behavioral transitions and the need for further socio-psychological case studies.