Explaining youth mentoring behavior from a Theory of Planned Behavior perspective

Ajzen’s (1991) theory of planned behavior (TPB) has been used to explain and predict behaviors from food consumption to academic performance. In the current study, we examined whether an TPB-inspired model may be used to explain youth mentoring behavior using structural models. We additionally examined whether attitudes toward diversity may be considered a mediating variable in an individual’s youth mentoring behavior. A sample consisting of mainly freshmen and sophomores (N = 411) at a large, public research intensive university in the Southwest participated in the study. Findings indicate that a model as inspired by TPB may explain youth mentoring behavior and subsequently be used to develop better mentoring relationships.