DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.185694.1 ISSN: 2046-1402

From Individual Traits to Behavioral Outcomes: A Meta-Analytic Approach

Kuan-I Lee, Kuo-Chung Huang, Ying-Kai Liao, Thi Thinh Vo, Wann Yih Wu
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Understanding how individual traits translate into behavioral outcomes remains a central challenge in applied psychology, as prior research has examined isolated determinants and produced inconsistent findings across diverse behavioral domains. This study employs a meta-analytic approach to synthesize existing evidence and develop an integrated framework explaining how individual, psychological, religious–spiritual, and social factors shape attitudes, behavioral intention, behavior, and subsequent well-being outcomes. Drawing on theoretical perspectives, including the Theory of Planned Behavior, Social Cognitive Theory, and Self-Determination Theory, this study analyzes data from 115 studies published between 1997 and 2024, comprising a total sample of 52,820 participants across health, consumer, social, and organizational domains. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted to estimate the strength and consistency of the proposed relationships. The findings indicate that most relationships are positive and statistically significant. Attitude and behavioral intention emerge as central mediating mechanisms, with behavioral intention exerting the strongest influence on behavior, followed by the effect of attitude on behavioral intention. Among antecedents, self-efficacy and social norms show relatively strong effects on attitude, whereas mindfulness and certain personality traits exhibit weaker influences. Substantial heterogeneity is observed, suggesting that contextual factors contribute to variation in effect sizes. This study contributes by integrating multiple theoretical perspectives into a unified framework, providing a comparative assessment of key determinants across behavioral domains, and resolving inconsistencies in prior findings. The results offer practical implications for designing interventions that promote behavioral change through cognitive, emotional, and social mechanisms.

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