The development and application of the theory of planned behaviour to food consumption

The aim of this study was to analyse potential differences between Belgian and Polish consumers in intention to consume chocolate. Research procedure is based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), which is a method applied in investigation of performance where a problem of incomplete volitional control exists. In this context, the chosen method seems adequate especially after two modifications. First, is inclusion of an affective component, which is analysed through the preference score and the taste index. A second modification lays in addition of self-stated habit. The results are presented in cross-country design. In the current study, the TPB model is only a part of the framework in which affective, conative, and cognitive dimensions are jointly analysed. The proposed Cognition and Affection-Related Behavioural Intention (CARBI) model enables a comparison of the strength of influences between countries in the total sample. Data evaluation by correlation, multiple regression and the analysis of variance is implemented. Results show a clear difference in perceived behavioural control, while the attitude component is a strong predicting variable for both countries. Preference for chocolate does not add to predictive power of consumer intentions in contrast to the self-stated habit. The region of living and personality of respondents are considered as good predictor variables.