THE IMPORTANCE OF INDIVIDUALS REPERTOIRES OF BEHAVIORS - THE SCIENTIFIC APPROPRIATENESS OF STUDYING MULTIPLE BEHAVIORS AND GENERAL ATTITUDES

This paper addresses Blau's critique of our early research on behavior al aggregates; we review the theoretical and empirical work on multipl e behaviors. We address the definition and measurement of behavioral a ggregates, the issue of common method variance, and factors influencin g behavior choices. Research from other behavioral areas that uses an approach similar to ours is reviewed as well as relevant research on w ithdrawal aggregates since 1991. We argue that a focus on general with drawal constructs rather than individual behaviors will generate signi ficant scientific and practical advantages. The study of constructs wi ll likely provide a basis for generalizations across situations, popul ations, and time. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.