The development of Identity Behavior Theory (IBT) has been inspired by identity theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), the latter of which has been used to assess the relationships between attitudes, self-efficacy, subjective norm, behavioral intention, and behavioral action. TPB has been used to predict many behaviors including, but not limited to, food choices, health behaviors, and, more recently, the behaviors of students and educators, including school counselors. TPB, however, lacks validity, and, despite a call to assess identity as part of the model, no changes have been made to TPB for over two decades. To fill this gap, IBT is proposed as a new model that is concerned with the role that identity plays in the prediction of behavioral enaction, the process whereby individuals shape their experiences through planning and successful actions. Behavioral enaction comprises behavioral intention and behavioral action, and, as part of IBT, is assessed along with identity, attitudes, self-efficacy, and assertiveness. In this paper, the TPB and IBT are reviewed, along with how to develop an identity scale. Recommendations for using IBT in research and applied practice are offered.
