| The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (Ajzen, 1991) is a prominent persuasion theory that provides a useful guide for intervention campaigns. Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM) is a set of tools based on social psychological theories designed to foster sustainable behavior (McKenzie-Mohr and Smith, 1999). Evidence supports the importance of using theory in formative evaluation, but the literature suggests that few applied studies use theory to guide campaigns. Given the ability of the TPB to allow precision in identifying critical targets for an intervention campaign, it seems that the use of this powerful tool should be utilized more frequently. Together, the TPB theory and the tools of CBSM could be a useful strategy to induce environmentally responsible behavior. This study explores conceptual relationships between Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) (1991) and McKenzie-Mohr and Smith's Community-Based Social Marketing (CBSM) (1999) planning framework and proposes a method to use TPB to inform CBSM campaign planning. This multi-method project uses a quasi-experimental research design in the applied case study of a one-month sustainable transportation campaign in Evansville, Wisconsin. Focus groups, in-depth interviews, participant observation, and surveys are used in a pretest posttest control group design. The TPB constructs and the barriers and benefits of CBSM appear to have stable conceptual connections. The TPB constructs and CBSM tools appear to be conceptually connected on normative elements, but vary on attitudinal and control beliefs from case to case. Although the TPB proves to be useful in identifying critical targets, the use of other methods, such as participant observation and focus groups, are necessary to provide a complete formative assessment. The applied campaign process utilizing this framework effectively meets process evaluation criteria, but receives mixed results on outcome evaluation criteria. The campaign effectively changes behavior in a segment of the population that initially measured higher on motivation, ability, behavioral intention, and perceived behavioral control, but did not affect the population as a whole. School- and work-based tools used in the campaign also play an important role in campaign dynamics. |
