College Students' Safety Behaviors in the Dental Technology Laboratory Predicted by the Theory of Planned Behavior

치기공전공 대학생의 실습실 안전 행동에 대한 계획된 행위 이론 검증

Background and Goals: This study set out to apply the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which is known to provide good explanations about human behavior, and test it to see if it could predict safety behavior by affecting the intention for safety behavior and perceived behavioral control and if intention for safety behavior would be influenced by attitude toward behavior, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. Methods: The subjects were 98 dental technology majors in D City. The questionnaires were distributed, filled out and collected on the spot. Each item was measured on a seven-point scale, and it's interpreted that the higher mean of each item would translate into safety behavior. Results: The analysis results of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) variables indicate that only subjective norm ($\beta$ = .528, p < .000) had explanatory power of 27.2% (F = 37.170, P <.001) for intention for safety behavior. The results show that subjective norm and attitude toward behavior affect intention for safety behavior. The analysis results of the TPB variables revealed that intention for safety behavior had explanatory power of 26.6% (F = 36.072, p <.000) for behavior. When intention was added by perceived behavioral control, the explanatory power increased to 34.5% (F = 26.530, p <.000). And when it's added by knowledge, the explanatory power increased to 39.0% (F =21.661, p <.000). The results suggest that intention has the biggest influence on predicting safety behavior. Conclusion: The results show that the TPB model by Ajzen (1985) has greater forecasting power for intention and act of safety behavior than the TRA model by Fishbein & Ajzen (1980) and the TPB model can applied in the prediction of safety behavior. Thus safety behavior is considered as behavior whose determination control is limited. And safety education programs that add knowledge to the TPB variables will help the students promote their safety behavior.