TRAINING & EDUCATION
Belief Conscious
A Turf Management Goal Necessitating Reasoned action
Figure 1 Reasoned action
The Theory of Reasoned Action is a psychological theory (TRA) which sets out to describe how an individual’s behaviour is determined by their underlying basic motivation to perform an action (Fishbein & Ajzen 1969).
Within the Theory of Reasoned Action, intention is the mindset required in advance of undertaking a task. Intention itself comes from a belief that performing an action will lead to a specifi c outcome. When physically manifested by our actions, the intention to perform a task from a point of belief is categorised as behavioural intention, and behavioural intention is determined by a number of factors. Primarily, those factors include an individual’s attitude to a behaviour and their subjective norms. Subjective norms can be summed up as; an individual’s perception of other people’s attitudes and behaviours which then impact how they implement reasoned action. For example, everyone around me thinks ‘activity x’ is acceptable, so I’ll participate; everyone around me thinks ‘activity x’ is not acceptable, so I will not participate.
The key word when considering the meaning of subjective norms is perception. As individuals, we like to tell ourselves we act with free will as we go about our daily lives, however, as a species, the truth is subtly diff erent: we often perceive the world around us, not from the point of reality but from the point of how our brains interpret and then process external stimuli.
The paragraph above perhaps bears reading a couple of times over. It should become clear how a combination of belief and perception feeding back on itself has the potential to reinforce the conviction of one’s reasoned action.
and subconscious thoughts which defi ne how and why we act.
Intention
The commitment to carry out planned action.
Desire
Attitude Determines
whether the outcome is probable and positive (and vice versa).
The enjoyment of the thought of achieving a goal which motivates action.
As a consequence, the way in which we combine our perception of things around us (subjective norms), with our beliefs, is the driving force determining the specifi c course of our reasoned action to any given goal. The fi nal core ingredient which determines the success rate for an individual’s intention to perform a reasoned action is attitude. Attitudes to an action or behaviour takes one of three forms;
Positive Negative Neutral
It should come as little surprise to anyone that there exists a direct correlation between attitude and outcomes.
• If an individual’s belief informs them there is positive eff ect to be gained from a behaviour, the intention and reasoned action is more likely to be implemented and achieved
• If an individual’s belief informs them there is negative eff ect to be gained from a behaviour, the intention and reasoned action is less likely to be implemented and achieved.
This link between attitude and belief stands to reason. If you believe something is to your advantage, you will be openly motivated to give it a try. If you believe something is to your detriment, you are more inclined to close off and avoid it.
A word on cognition
A reasoned action and the mental state of intention is a precursor to cognitive behaviour.
Cognitive behaviour or cognition is the actualisation of the practical components arising from the mental state of intention and motivation. Put simply, you may decide to do something, and you may have the motivation; but do you have the cognitive ability to comprehend, to judge, to evaluate, to plan, to implement what it is you are motivated to achieve? If the answer is no, then what is the solution?
The solution or responsibility is to actively engage in acquiring the knowledge and understanding required.
Relating to sportsturf management
The theory of reasoned action is a deep and rich topic which this article will not attempt to explain fully. However, the core principle is as stated
As discussed, when undertaking the pursuit of a goal, e.g. maintaining a sports turf surface, purchasing a piece of machinery or combatting a fungal pathogen, the interrelationship between the mental states of intention, desire and belief combine to determine a) how you go about it, or b) your chance of success as illustrated in the graphic above. Put simply, reasoned action is required to accomplish the achievement of a goal. The manner in which one goes about achieving that goal and the chances of success are determined by a combination of the mindsets of belief, attitude, desire and intention. The obvious next step which follows from that understanding is an answer to the question:
“once I have identifi ed what it is I need to achieve (e.g. reduced reliance on fungicides, control of an insect pest), what are the practical steps required to undertake and implement that action?”
PC June/July 2019 147
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