ABSTRACT
The theory of planned behavior provides a road map for influencing intrinsic motivations. Extrinsic motivators can be every effective in eliciting specific behavioral changes, but they rarely foster engagement. The intention to perform a behavior is the summation of three components: a person's attitude toward the behavior; the subjective norm; and the perceived behavioral control. Positive deviance is a systematic approach that identifies the successful but uncommon behaviors or strategies and then disseminates them across the community. The focus on positive deviance in the Vietnam malnutrition program tackled all three areas of the theory of planned behavior. First, perceived behavioral control was addressed by identifying families within the community that were successful in preventing malnutrition. Second, positive deviance addresses subjective norms. Finally, education and encouragement about collecting and preparing shellfish for meals increased the villagers' positive beliefs about the behavior, the third element of the theory of planned behavior.
