Ajzen (1991) explained in his theory of planned behavior that attitudes are not the only determinants of our behavior and influence on our intentions, but include subjective norms and our perceived control of the behavior. Specifically on subjective norms, his theory explains that perceptions of what others think we should do can influence our behavior in a direction that is consistent with or opposite of our attitude. That is, we can be pressured to act in ways that go against our feelings toward something or someone.
One of the pretty strong, negative attitudes that I have is toward fast-food restaurants. I like eating at sandwich or burrito type places (Subway/Chipotle), but when I do go to the tradition fast-food places like McDonald's or Sonic I only get drinks or shakes. I believe that this attitude was shaped during middle and high school by my family, particularly my father, and some close friends. My strong dislike for eating at fast-food restaurants is not because I'm some crazy health nut (believe me...I'm not...we can eat pretty unhealthy around my house), I just never felt comfortable with the cleanliness of those places and I always get a weird greasy feeling after eating there.
A simple example of how subjective norms have influenced my behavior in a way that was not consistent with my attitudes would be during every single church youth-group trip that I took in high school. Traveling anywhere with a large group of teens who are on a budget normally means eating at fast-food places. Despite my attitudes toward this dining option, they did not predict my behavior because I ate and I ate happily. In my mind, what everyone else wanted to do, grab a quick burger and fries, was more important than my attitudes towards food. Thankfully we occasionally were able to stop at a subway or Chick-fil-A (a fast food place that has chicken salad sandwiches!) along the way which always made me happy. :)
Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50, 179-211.
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I only get drinks at McDonald's too! But my attitude towards fast food was shaped by watching "Super Size Me". Have you seen it? It's really entertaining and will probably strengthen the attitude you already have towards fast food. :)
I have a similar attitude towards specific fast food restaurant, especially towards Arby's. I avoid eating there at almost all costs (liquid cheese scares me), but on a road trip to hear John Mayer play in Houston this summer, everyone in the car was hungry and wanted Arby's. I agreed to stop and get food, despite my attitude towards the fast food chain because I enjoyed being with my friends, wanted food, and it was convenient. Just don't expect me to pick Arby's for dinner tonight.
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