Originators and GoalsIn the 1960s and 1970s, it was assumed that attitudes toward behavior determined behaviors. This was not true and there was no evidence to support it. Martin Fishbein and Icek Azjen conducted research experiments and studies in 1975 on attitudes and behaviors that confirmed once again that there was no relationship between these two variables. Fishbein and Azjen said that behavior depends on the intention to participate in a behavior and does not depend on the attitude toward the behavior. This is where the Theory or Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behavior come from. These theories assert that behavior is based on intention and are an alternative to the earlier belief that behavior is related to attitude. Intent is the likelihood that a person will participate in a certain behavior. Intention is affected by attitudes, subjective norms, voluntary control and behavioral control. These are the four main constructs of theories. The theories are relatively the same, with the exception of the concept of behavioral control. The theory of planned behavior has an additional construct called behavioral control. This theory is useful whenever behavior is not under voluntary control. Overview of Basic Constructs The constructs of the Theory of Reasoned Action and the Theory of Planned Behavior are attitudes, subjective norms, effortful control, and behavioral control. All of these constructs affect a person's intentions. Attitudes are beliefs that someone places value on the outcome of a behavior. It depends on a person's feelings about their behavior. For example, if a person views eating healthily as a good thing and something they want to do, then they will...... middle of paper ...... wants their patients to start eating healthier , this might help give them ideas on how to change their patient's intentions. The health care provider could help the patient realize that the important people in his life want him to eat healthily, which could help him change his behavior. They could educate them about the effects of a healthier diet and ultimately change their attitude towards healthy eating. For example, the patient does not have to completely eliminate junk food; they just need to eat it in moderation. This is just one situation in which the theories could be useful in healthcare. There are many other ways in which these theories are useful. It is important to understand these theories in order to understand that behavior is affected by someone's intentions. This provides insight into what affects a person's intentions and how they can be changed..