Forty years of the theory of planned behavior: a bibliometric analysis (1985–2024)

Abstract The goal of the study is a comprehensive and systematic analysis of the literature and research landscape of the TPB between 1985–2024. This paper presents a comprehensive bibliometric study of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) literature over the past forty years (1985–2024), analyzing 14,461 articles and 542,479 citations published in the Web of Science Core Collection. Utilizing performance analysis and science mapping techniques, the study leverages bibliographic coupling, co-citation, keyword co-occurrence analysis, and a temporal assessment of the field across six distinct periods (1985–1999; 2000–2004, 2005–2009; 2010–2014; 2015–2019; and 2020–2024). Employing VOS Viewer software for visualization, this research maps the evolution, intellectual structure, and networks of relationships in the TPB field for the first time. The results highlight significant patterns and interdisciplinary connections, identifying the most influential publications, authors, journals, and institutions. A distinguishing feature of the study is the identification of thematic clusters based on multiple criteria and a triangulation analysis of these clusters. Additionally, the study investigates the most influential articles within the six periods and provides an evolutionary phase-wise analysis of TPB. Another highlight is the detailed guidance on future research avenues, which are actionable and based on a rigorous assessment of the most cited articles from 2020 to 2024. The study makes a significant contribution to the ongoing research conversations on the trajectory and growth of TPB across various disciplines.