Elicitation studies and the theory of planned behavior: A systematic review of exercise beliefs

Background: Elicitation studies are recommended when using the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to establish the cognitive foundation of a population's salient exercise beliefs. The TPB is frequently used to explain exercise intention and behavior, and its predictive utility is well-established. Limited research, however, has examined people's salient behavioral, normative, and control beliefs for exercise-and the relative contribution of these beliefs for explaining attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. Thus, to extend the explanatory utility of the TPB, a review of exercise elicitation studies is warranted. Purpose: To review TPB and exercise studies that conducted an elicitation study. Methods: A comprehensive literature search yielded 47 TPB studies that had conducted an elicitation study, spanning 22 yr (range: 1975-2002; 59.6% from the 1990s). Results and conclusions: We found that: (a) the most salient behavioral, normative, and control beliefs were that exercise improves physical/psychological health, family members have the strongest normative influence on exercise, and physical limitations obstruct exercise, respectively; (b) the effect size for behavioral beliefs-attitude, normative beliefs-subjective norm, and control beliefs-perceived behavioral control were large; (c) the beliefs explained between 34% and 56% of the variance in attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control; and (d) insufficient information was reported for the elicitation studies' methods. The study findings illustrate the importance of conducting elicitation studies as a mechanism for understanding exercise behavior. Future researchers are encouraged to conduct elicitation studies, and to report more detailed information regarding their methods to aid in replication and interpretation.