Formal Models for Predicting Behavioral Intentions in Dichotomous Choice Situations

In attitude-behavior-research behavioral intention is applied as an intervening variable between attitude and behavior. This article is concerned with formal models for predicting behavioral intentions. It refers to situations in which subjects must choose between two alternative behaviors. Consequently, two contraints for the behavioral intentions are presupposed: 1) behavioral intentions vary between the two boundaries 'completely decided against' and 'completely decided for', 2) the behavioral intentions for two alternative behaviors are mutually dependent. Four different models for predicting behavioral intentions are presented, theoretically evaluated with respect to the two constraints, and empirically tested. The results of the empirical test accord with the results of the theoretical evaluation.