An extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior to predict willingness to pay for the conservation of an urban park

Determinants of parental demand of human papillomavirus vaccination for adolescent daughters in China: Contingent valuation survey

BACKGROUND

Several types of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines have been approved for use in adolescent girls in China. These vaccines are regulated as non-National Immunisation Program vaccines and are optional and generally fully self-paid by vaccinees.

OBJECTIVE

To assess parents' demand for HPV vaccination by eliciting their willingness-to-pay for their adolescent daughters to be vaccinated against HPV and to examine the determinants of demand for HPV vaccination in China.

METHODS

A contingent valuation survey was conducted across three cities in Shandong Province in eastern China. We selected 11 junior middle schools with different socioeconomic features and randomly selected 6 classes in each school, and questionnaires were distributed to all girls aged 12-16 in the 66 classes for their parents to complete. A payment card approach was used to elicit parental willingness-to-pay for HPV vaccination for their daughters. We also collected a wide array of socioeconomic and psychological variables and interval regressions were applied to examine the determinants of parental willingness-to-pay.

RESULTS

A total of 1074 eligible parents who completed valid questions were included in analyses. Over 85% of parents believed HPV vaccines were, in general, necessary and beneficiary. However, only around 10% believed that their daughters would be infected by HPV. About 8% of parents would not accept HPV vaccine even if the vaccine were free mainly due to concerns about the potential side effects and vaccine safety and quality issues, and 27.37% would only accept the vaccine if it were free. The median willingness-to-pay was 300 CNY (42 USD). Several factors were positively correlated with higher willingness-to-pay: income, urban residence (relative to rural residence), mothers (relative to fathers), parents' beliefs about vaccine benefits, whether they should make decisions for their daughters, and whether their daughters would be susceptible to HPV. Though education-level was not significantly correlated with willingness-to-pay in the main regressions, a subgroup analysis revealed interesting dynamics in the relation between education and willingness-to-pay across different income-levels.

CONCLUSIONS

There is a large gap between parents' willingness-to-pay and the market price of HPV vaccine for girls in China. Parents generally believed the HPV vaccines were beneficial and necessary but when asked for their daughters, most parents did not believe their daughters would be infected by HPV despite the high prevalence in China. Future focus should be on ensuring the provision of accurate health information about HPV prevalence, vaccine quality, and safety to promote vaccine uptake, and promotional efforts tailored to different income groups might yield better effects. Government involvement in negotiating more widely acceptable and affordable prices or subsidising may be necessary for protecting high-risk population groups.

Exploring residents' willingness to pay for the research and development of renewable energy: A survey from first-tier cities in China

The research and development (R&D) of renewable energy (RE) is crucial for cost reduction in electricity generation and enhancing power system stability. Compared to traditional fossil fuels, it demands more financial support. To investigate Chinese residents' willingness to pay (WTP) for the R&D of RE and its influencing factors, we conducted a large-scale online survey in four first-tier cities in China in 2023. The research findings indicate that (1) Chinese residents are willing to pay approximately 31.20 yuan (4.34 USD) per month for the R&D of RE. (2) WTP is higher under a mandatory payment model than a voluntary one. (3) Electricity consumption, environmental concern, environmental behavior, willingness to participate, satisfaction with government RE policies, and trust in the government's environmental governance capability significantly influence WTP. (4) Younger, male, and larger household residents exhibit higher WTP. Based on these findings, targeted policy recommendations were proposed.

What determines the batteries recycling behavior of e-bike citizens in Guangzhou?: Integrating place identity and environmental concern into the extended norm activation model

Battery recycling is viewed in China as an important means of achieving primary sustainability goals and greater economic and environmental development. With the notice of high battery recycling intentions through relevant investigations, this study examine the influencing factors of these recycling behaviors of e-bikes citizens by incorporating the place identity and environmental concern into the Extended Normative Activation Model (NAM), which fill the research gap on how place identity and environmental concern affect the batteries recycling behavior. This study proposes that the consequence awareness, personal norms, and attitudes have mediating effect on place identity to the recycling behavior, and the environmental concern has moderating effect on consequence awareness, personal norms, and attitudes to the recycling behavior, respectively. Based on 1068 valid surveys, hypotheses were examined using partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that personal norms and awareness of consequences positively impact e-bike users' intentions to recycle waste batteries, and environmental concerns have no moderating effect on attitude, recycling intention, personal norms, and recycling intention. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed at last.

Participatory intention and behavior towards riparian peri-urban forests management; an extended theory of planned behavior application

Introduction

Peri-urban forests play crucial role in quality of life and environment for citizens. To effectively utilize the services provided by these forests, it is essential to establish an integrated forest management system that aims to achieve a balance of all ecosystem services. This can be accomplished through a participatory approach that involves key citizen stakeholders. Mountaineers shape a specific group which have showed high pro-environmental behaviors to protect natural resources. This research aimed to examine the influencing factors on mountaineers' intention to participate and their actual behavior in the management of riparian peri-urban forests in this field using extended theory of planned behavior.

Methods

Environmental values and perceived barriers were added to original model as additional components to enhance its explanatory power. A sample size of 416 individuals was surveyed using a questionnaire. Data was analyzed using Smart-PLS.

Results

The findings of the analysis revealed that the developed model accounted for 75.2% of the variance in mountaineers' intention and 67.8% of behavior. The results demonstrated that three main components of model including attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioral control significantly influenced individuals' intentions to participate in peri-urban forests management. Furthermore, intentions were cleared to have a positive influence on actual behavior in this context. Additionally, environmental values were found to be positively correlated with individuals' intentions but not statistically significant behavior toward participate in urban forest management. Perceived barriers were found to have a negative impact on individuals' intentions toward participate in urban forest management. The perceived barriers and behavior had not statistically significant relationship.

Conclusion

The results of study provide valuable insights for the development of effective management strategies to promote mountaineers' participation in riparian PUFs management. The study emphasizes the importance of environmental education and awareness campaigns targeted at mountaineers.

Assessing Household's Municipal Waste Segregation Intentions in Metropolitan Cities of Pakistan: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

There is a growing concern about inappropriate waste disposal and its negative impact on human health and the environment. The objective of this study is to understand household waste segregation intention considering psychological, institutional, and situational factors simultaneously. Insights into the motivations of household waste segregation drivers may assist in a better knowledge of how to pursue the most efficient and effective initiatives. For this purpose, data from a representative sample comprising 849 households is obtained from the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi (Pakistan). The empirical analysis employs a Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach, showing that policy instruments have significant direct and indirect impacts on households' segregation intentions. The results highlight that government policy instruments strengthen personal and perceived norms for waste segregation intentions, resulting in an external intervention that would encourage intrinsic motivation. Therefore, policy actions become the main entry point for initiating waste segregation behavior. Public policy must continue to emphasize waste segregation since it may help resource recovery. This is imperative because the environment is a shared resource, and its conservation increases social welfare.

Who behaves more pro-environmental in the national parks: A comparison of the tourist and the hiker

The intention of pro-environmental behavior (PEB) directly affects the sustainable development of protected areas, especially national parks, but few studies have done comparative research on tourist and hiker behaviors. This study explores the intention of tourists' and hikers' pro-environmental behavior based on theory of planned behavior (TPB) and norm activation theory (NAM). Researchers surveyed 454 tourists and 466 hikers in Wuyishan National Park a structural equation modeling data analysis method. The results demonstrate that the TPB and the NAM were accurate in describing for tourists' and hikers' pro-environmental behavior in national park. However, for specific influencing factors, hikers' attitude, awareness of consequences, and assumption of responsibility were significantly different from those of the tourists. This study sheds light on how to better comprehend and advocate for PEB in national parks and proposes different management approaches to improve the PEB of tourists and hikers.

Do information publicity and moral norms trigger waste-sorting intention among households? A sequential mediation analysis

Introduction

The quick pace of technological advancement and urbanization has led to a significant increase in waste production, severely damaging environmental quality and human health. The sorting of waste is a viable option to reduce environmental hazards and attain high recovery rates in the cities. This research extended the theory of planned behavior (TPB) by integrating information publicity (IP) and moral norms (MNs).

Methods

A conceptual model has been developed to explore the predictors of waste-sorting intention of households. The data from 361 Pakistani households have been collected using the purposive sampling method and analyzed via PLS-SEM.

Results and discussion

The study's results revealed that IP is important in creating awareness and establishing moral norms regarding waste sorting among households. The findings further confirm that MN, attitude (ATD), subjective norms (SNs), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) sequentially mediate between IP and WSI. The findings of the current study provides useful practical implications to the practitioners and academicians to combat environmental pollution.

Determinants of contractor's construction and demolition waste recycling intention in China: Integrating theory of planned behavior and norm activation model

The abundant generation of construction and demolition waste (CDW) poses a threat to the sustainable development in China and recycling plays a vital role in complying with circular economy zero-waste goal. In this study, we first investigate the determinants of contractor's intention to recycle CDW by establishing an integrative model of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the norm activation model (NAM) with rational and moral considerations. Based on the questionnaire data of 210 valid responses, structural equation modeling is employed to test the proposed hypotheses and analyze the integrative structural model. The results show that the integrative model with adequate reliability and validity fits the empirical data well and the explanation power is superior to that of initial TPB model and NAM model, demonstrating the appropriateness of merging TPB and NAM in the area of CDW recycling research. Moreover, it is found that personal norms are the most critical determinant enhancing the CDW recycling intention, followed by perceived behavioral control. Although subjective norms fail to directly affect the CDW recycling intention, they can significantly strengthen personal norms and perceived behavioral control. These findings provide useful insights for government to develop effective management strategies to motivate CDW recycling intention of contractors.

Exploring preference and willingness for rural water pollution control: A choice experiment approach incorporating extended theory of planned behaviour

Rural water pollution control (RWPC) is a crucial issue for developing countries, particularly because of its importance for improving ecosystems, promoting sustainable development, and ultimately contributing to the health and well-being of individuals. This study adopted a choice experiment (CE) to explore farmers' preference and willingness for RWPC and to investigate whether socioeconomic and psychosocial factors can explain differences in farmers' preferences and values governing RWPC. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and some additional constructs (risk perception, knowledge, moral norms, and subjective norms) were included in an empirical test that predicts stated choices. The Wei River basin, one of the most water-polluted areas in China, was used as the location for our study. From June to July 2022, we collected the questionnaire responses of 427 farmers who live and work in this area. The results suggested that farmers have significant heterogeneity in their preference for RWPC attributes, but the majority highly value improving water quality through water pollution treatment. The inclusion of TPB and additional constructs in our test explained the behaviour of farmers. Those with high scores tended to already perform RWPC and have a willingness to continue to do so. According to the results of a latent class (LC) model, the average willingness to pay (WTP) per farmer for rural water pollution treatment was 254.69 Chinese yuan (CNY) per year. Excluding biodiversity, the average WTP was 241.55 CNY per year. This study provides a new path for developing countries to promote RWPC and improve local rural environments and the well-being of rural residents.

Intentions of Landowners towards Active Management of Ecosystem for Deer Habitat

Active management such as prescribed fire and thinning can restore savanna and prairie ecosystem to maintain a full suite of ecosystem services and create suitable habitat for wildlife species such as white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Active management comes with the cost of management and acceptance of management tools. The south-central transitional ecoregion of the USA, which otherwise was a mixture of forest, savanna, and tallgrass prairie, is increasing in woody plant dominance due to the exclusion of fire and other anthropogenic factors. Deer hunting is a vital source of revenue generation to offset the landowner's management cost in the region. We studied Oklahoma landowners' perceptions regarding active and sustainable management of forest and rangeland for deer habitat using two established theories of reasoned action and planned behavior as well as expanded theories adding moral norms. We analyzed mailed survey data using structural equation modeling. We found that subjective norms and perceived behavior control significantly affected deer hunting intention when moral norms were introduced into the model. Attitudes independently significantly affected intentions of deer hunting but have negative relations with the intentions. The study suggested that landowners have positive social pressure and were interested in active management but associated financial burden and risk could be shaping negative attitudes.

Influencing factors of consumers' buying intention of solar energy: a structural equation modeling approach

Due to China's massive usage of fossil fuels, climate change concerns have become serious challenges to the country's sustainable development. Despite the fact that China has effectively employed solar technology to address these problems, there is a paucity of research examining consumers' intention to adopt solar energy in the rural region of China. This study intends to fill this gap in the literature by studying consumers' buying intentions for solar energy in rural China for household purposes. Additionally, the study added to the theory of planned behavior by adding three new variables, namely, environmental knowledge, environmental concern, and beliefs about the benefits of solar energy. Primary data were collected from 847 respondents in Hebei Province using a comprehensive questionnaire survey. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine the data. Empirical results revealed that attitude, environmental knowledge, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and beliefs about the benefits of solar energy positively influence buying intention of solar energy. On the contrary, environmental concern had no significant effect on buying intention for solar energy. Study outcomes emphasize the critical significance of changing societal norms, boosting consumer awareness, redesigning regulatory mechanisms, and stressing the benefits provided by solar power through coherent and persistent efforts while simultaneously enhancing environmental sustainability practices.

Public Willingness to Pay for Green Lifestyle in China: A Contingent Valuation Method Based on Integrated Model

The purpose of this study was to note how people recognize the green lifestyle and how much extra money they are willing to pay for it. An integrated model based on the theory of planned behavior was constructed, and data on the willingness to pay (WTP) for green lifestyles of 1377 respondents in five cities in East China were measured and calculated using the double-bounded dichotomous choice contingent valuation method (DBDC) combined with interval regression analysis. The results showed that the respondents were willing to pay an extra 81.8 yuan, 52.5 yuan, 38.9 yuan, 53.2 yuan, and 37.2 yuan per month for green food, clothing, travel, housing, and waste recycling, respectively. Attitude and moral norms were the strongest predictors of WTP for green clothing, travel, housing, and waste recycling. Perceived behavior control, environmental awareness, personal habits, subjective knowledge, gender, income, and education can affect a few kinds of green lifestyle's WTP.

Factors Contributing to Citizens' Participation in COVID-19 Prevention and Control in China: An Integrated Model Based on Theory of Planned Behavior, Norm Activation Model, and Political Opportunity Structure Theory

Chinese citizens' participation in COVID-19 prevention and control has made great contributions to the successful fight against the pandemic. The factors that have impacted citizens' participation have rarely been reported based on both social-psychological and political environmental theories. This paper presented a study to explore the determinants of Chinese citizens' participation in COVID-19 prevention and control based on a combined model of the theory of planned behavior, the norm activation model, and political opportunity structure theory. A dataset involving 463 respondents from Harbin in northeast China was acquired and analyzed. The results showed that the comprehensive model explained 62.9% of the total variance in citizens' participation behavior. The openness to public participation not only significantly directly influenced citizens' participation but also indirectly affected participation behaviors through attitude and perceived behavioral control, both of which were important mediators and had the greatest overall impacts. The awareness of consequences and subjective norms were crucial antecedents to the activation of other influencing factors. Personal norms indirectly affected participation behavior through the mediation of attitude. The empirical results showed the comprehensiveness, effectiveness, and high explanatory power of the postulated model. The study also provides both new theoretical perspectives for explaining public participation and useful practical implications for future policy development in promoting citizens' participation in public health emergency management.

To join the rebuild or not? An exploration of the factors influencing the public's intention to participate in urban renewal

Due to the lack of trust in the builder and indeterminate benefits, it is a struggle for people in Taiwan to make up their minds to participate in urban renewal. This leads to the completion rate of urban renewal of fewer than one ten-thousandth of the new construction needed. This study investigated the perspective on the research variables for people in Taiwan and how those influence their intention to participate in urban renewal. Using the Theory of Planned Behavior, the research framework is designed with the trust of urban renewal project builders and the perceived benefits of public participation as the independent variables. Attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are the mediating variables, and the general public's intention to participate in urban renewal is the dependent variable. A total of 545 valid questionnaires were collected through the survey. The results showed that the respondents' trust in the builder of the urban renewal project positively and significantly influenced their perceived benefits of the project, and the respondents' trust in the builder significantly influenced their subjective norms. The perceived benefits positively and significantly affected their attitudes and subjective norms, and people's attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control positively and significantly affected their intention to participate in urban renewal. People's perceived benefits in urban renewal projects affected their participation intention through attitudes and subjective norms. The variable perceived benefits most strongly influenced people's intention to participate in urban renewal in this study. This study provides practical suggestions for the government and builders to increase people's intention to participate in urban renewal. This study modeled two independent variables, trust in the builder and perceived benefits, under the urban renewal context in Taiwan. In future works, other factors could be included, such as tax incentives, floor area rewards, and fair appraisal.

The Mediation Effects of Social Media Usage and Sharing Fake News about Companies

Trust in social media information is gaining in importance and relevance for both companies and individuals as nowadays contemporary society is confronted with a wave of fake news about daily life situations, brands, organizations, etc. As it becomes more difficult to accurately assess social media information and to determine its origin or source, as well as to be able to double-check information spread across different Social Networking Sites (SNS), businesses must understand how individuals' perceived control, concentration, and time distortion enhances the social media usage, thus allowing them to correctly assess online information. Therefore, the scope of the paper is to assess, based on a conceptual model, the antecedents of trust in online information about companies by considering users' perceived control, concentration, and time distortion, while browsing social media networks and sharing fake news about companies in SNS. With the help of an online survey, data was collected from social media users, later being analysed with SmartPLS. The findings suggest that social media usage and sharing of fake news mediate the relationship between users' perceived control, concentration, and time distortion (i.e., flow characteristics) and trust in online information about companies.

Residential open space and the perception of health benefits: How much is the public willing to pay?

Emerging evidence suggests that residential open space (ROS) is beneficial for multiple health outcomes for urban residents. However, the general public's understanding of and demand for the health benefits related to ROS have not been widely explored. This study aims to examine the impact of residents' socioeconomic status and perceptions of landscape health benefits on their willingness to pay (WTP) for ROS and to evaluate the perceived monetary value of different residential landscape elements. An online survey with 1348 respondents was conducted between August 2020 and October 2021 in China using a contingent valuation (CV) method. Respondents perceived the landscape benefits related to mental health to be higher than those related to physical and social health. The perception of landscape health benefits positively affected WTP and the WTP value of ROS. Residents' monthly income was a significant influencing factor for WTP and the latter's value. For individuals with positive WTP, the average annual WTP for ROS was CNY 68.98 (USD 10.81), while for all the respondents, the estimated mean annual WTP for ROS was CNY 91.75 (USD 14.38). Moreover, the estimated WTP for plants was the highest, whereas the WTP for activity spaces was estimated as the lowest. These findings may improve city planners' and community managers' understanding of the perceived value of residential landscapes among the public and help them make effective decisions to build healthy communities.

Promoting the adoption of residential water conservation behaviors as a preventive policy to sustainable urban water management

As concerning with water insecurity driven by water scarcity threatens the lives and livelihoods of humanity worldwide, urban water demand management is focused on promoting residential water conservation behaviors (WCBs) as a critical policy response to water scarcity. However, urban water conservation initiatives cannot be successful unless households involve in residential WCBs voluntarily by adopting water curtailment and/or water-efficiency actions. Thus, understanding motivations and mechanisms underlying accepting these two types of WCBs and interpreting their distinctions are primary policy considerations to make sustainable water consumption behaviors. Hence, the purpose of this research was twofold: (1) To explore intentions to household adoption of water curtailment and water-efficiency actions, key corresponding determinants, and distinctions between them; and (2) To evaluate the capability and robustness of the Health Belief Model (HBM) to explain residential WCBs. The present research design was a cross-sectional survey conducted in Tehran, Iran. The outcomes from structural equation modeling indicated that: (1) Water curtailment intention was solely determined by self-efficacy and perceived benefits; (2) In addition to self-efficacy and perceived benefits, perceived severity, cues to action, and perceived barriers were significantly related to water-efficiency intention; (3) While only perceived susceptibility was not a significant determinant for water-efficiency intention, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived barriers, and cues to action could not significantly explain water curtailment intention; (4) Self-efficacy also emerged as the strongest predictive variable behind intentions to adopt both WCBs; (5) The perceived barriers had a negative significant relationship only with water-efficiency intention; and (6) The HBM could explain 72% and 61% of the variance in households' intentions to adopt water curtailment and water-efficiency actions, respectively. These outcomes supported that the HBM could propose a reliable and practical heuristic theoretical framework to predict residential WCBs. Moreover, the findings confirmed significant differences among socio-psychological factors behind intentions to household adoption of both WCBs, which need to be addressed. The research results introduced numerous implications from theoretical and policy standpoints for improving residential WCBs.

Purchase Behavior of Energy-Efficient Appliances Contribute to Sustainable Energy Consumption in Developing Country: Moral Norms Extension of the Theory of Planned Behavior

Since energy consumption in developing countries has increased significantly, motivating energy-saving habits among citizens is an important issue both from the academic and industrial perspectives. Thus, this study aims to predict consumer purchase intention for energy-efficient household appliances based on an extended model of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). This study incorporated two additional constructs of moral norms and environmental concern in the model of the TPB. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 1155 Bangladeshi consumers, and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) regression was used to test the hypotheses. Results show that attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavior control significantly influence consumer purchase intention of energy-efficient appliances (EEAs). This study also proved that the extension of moral norms is a significant predictor of consumers’ purchase intention in the classic theory of planned behavior (TPB). However, environmental concerns had no significant influence in the Bangladesh context. As far as the authors’ knowledge, this is the first empirical survey in Bangladesh to predict energy-efficient household appliance (EEHA) purchasing intentions using an extended model of the TPB. Marketers and policymakers can use the findings of this study to design strategies for generating more value for green consumers. The study also provides insights into environmental marketing and sustainable energy consumption in developing countries from theoretical and practical perspectives.

Tourists’ Intention of Undertaking Environmentally Responsible Behavior in National Forest Trails: A Comparative Study

The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Norm Activation Model (NAM) are often employed to examine behavioral intention, but the perspective and attribute differences of these two models have been largely neglected. This study applies TPB and NAM to analyze and compare the intention of trail tourists to undertake environmentally responsible behavior (ERB), which may directly affect the sustainability of the trail system and the surrounding areas. A survey research approach was employed, and 452 responses were collected from tourists in three national forest trails in China. Beginners and experienced trail tourists were also categorized in the study for comparison purposes. Structural equation modeling was utilized in data analysis. The results demonstrate that the TPB model and the NAM model, which represent rationality and morality perspective respectively, are both suitable in explaining the intention of trail tourists to undertake ERB. Comparatively, the TPB model’s rationality perspective shows applicability in explaining both beginner and experienced trail tourists’ intention of undertaking ERB, whereas the NAM morality model only applies to experienced trail tourists. The study provides insights into better understanding and promotion recommendations of ERB in national forest trails.

Predicting household sign up for solar energy: an empirical study based on the extended theory of planned behavior

Purpose

This study aims to understand households’ adoption of small-scale solar energy to reduce carbon dioxide emissions that cause due to conventional energy consumptions.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is quantitative in nature and households were selected as unit of analysis. Online data has been collected from seven main cities of Pakistan to understand households’ intention to use small-scale solar energy for domestic consumption. A total of 370 valid data were analyzed through partial least square structural equation modeling.

Findings

The study findings reveal that publicity information, attitude green norm and perceived behavioral control are the strongest predictors of households’ intention to use small-scale solar energy.

Practical implications

The considered model practically contributes to the literature by understanding households’ intention to adopt solar technologies that are viable means to conserve conventional energy and preserve the environment through less emission of carbon dioxide. In addition to this, understanding the green norm of households is imperative in a developing country, Pakistan where climate risk is high. Understanding household’ green norms would help marketers and practitioners to design and introduce new and more efficient renewable technologies that maintain environmental sustainability.

Originality/value

This study has contributed to theory of planned behavior (TPB) by the inclusion of publicity information and green norms. Previous studies focused on the environmental benefits of using renewable energy sources. This study added novel antecedents into TPB that help to understand the adoption of small-scale solar energy for domestic consumption.

What Influences Consumers' Intention to Purchase Innovative Products: Evidence From China

Drawing on the theory of planned behavior, we investigate the legitimacy of platform governance and whether consumers with greater ranges of risk propensity are more likely to purchase innovative products. This study develops a moderated mediation model involving risk propensity, cognitive legitimacy, purchase intention and perceived benefit. To examine our hypotheses, we conducted a survey of 315 consumers from Shanghai, China. The results reveal that risk propensity is positively related to consumers’ purchase intentions, in which cognitive legitimacy plays a mediating role. Furthermore, the interaction suggests that perceived benefit moderates the relationship between risk propensity and cognitive legitimacy.

Valuing ecosystem services of sustainable urban drainage systems: A discrete choice experiment to elicit preferences and willingness to pay

Sustainable urban drainage systems (SUDS) address stormwater management issues and provide a variety of benefits to residents in terms of ecosystem services. Economically valuing the non-monetary ecosystem services often proves difficult, as limited markets for SUDS measures exist, rendering revealed preference methods inapplicable. We conducted a discrete choice experiment to elicit the preferences and willingness to pay of the ecosystem services of SUDS in Berlin, Germany. Results from a latent class model indicated how residents weigh the different ecosystem services and that they garner the highest utility in improved water quality from reduced fish die-offs. With these results, practitioners and policy makers can better prioritize measures and make strong economic arguments for SUDS implementation and increasing the provision of ecosystem services.

Post-Resettlement Support Policies, Psychological Factors, and Farmers’ Homestead Exit Intention and Behavior

Ex situ poverty alleviation relocation (ESPAR) is a Chinese government program created to address rural poverty and land management issues. Affecting around 10 million people, the process involves encouraging smallholder farmers to leave their rural homesteads and move to new housing. By consolidating people into medium density accommodation, the amount of land available for other purposes can be increased. However, some farmers were reluctant to move, and many of those who accepted new housing failed to demolish their homestead and rehabilitate the land as required. This paper applies the ‘extended theory of planned behavior’ to examine the factors that influence farmers’ exit intention and behavior. Face-to-face interviews were carried out in Southern Shaanxi Province, China. Data relating to 830 farmers were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling. Our most important finding is that farmers had a poor perception of the post-relocation support, and this retarded their exit intention and behavior. We conclude that it is essential to improve post-relocation support, enhance the autonomy of farmers, and formulate relocation plans according to people’s age and likely future occupation.

Willingness to Pay to Improve Quality of Public Healthcare Services in Mauritius

Mauritius has a universal free healthcare system, based on the Beveridge model which is financed by taxpayers. There are growing considerations over improving quality of healthcare services. The purpose of the study is to employ a contingency valuation (CV) to investigate the willingness of Mauritians people to pay to improve the quality of public healthcare services and the associated determinants using the double-bounded dichotomous choice model. A drop off survey with a sample size of 974 respondents from the working population is used. The empirical analysis shows that the majority of the sample was willing to pay for improving quality of public healthcare services. Other than the conventional determinants of respondents’ demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, the findings support the assertion that psycho-social constructs such as the Theory of Planned Behaviour, Norm-Activation, Public Good Theory, and Perceived Response Efficacy are found to significantly affect Willingness-to-Pay (WTP). The results of this study might be of use to policymakers to help with both priority setting and fund allocation.

Beyond technology adoption: Examining home energy management systems, energy burdens and climate change perceptions during COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly changed our lives. While the global impacts of the pandemic are shocking, the implications for energy burdens, climate policy, and energy efficiency are salient. This study examines income differences in the acceptance of and willingness to pay for home energy management systems during the COVID-19 pandemic among 632 residents in New York. Additionally, this study examines energy profiles, energy burdens, climate change issues, risk perceptions, and social-psychological factors. Compared with low-income households, our findings suggest that high-income households use more energy, have higher utility bills during quarantine mandates, perceive a higher risk of COVID-19 infection, and perceive climate change issues to be better than before. Low-income households, however, experience the highest energy burdens. Regarding HEMS acceptance, high-income households are more willing to adopt energy and well-being-promoting features of HEMS and more willing to pay a higher monthly fee for all the features than other income groups. Overall, participants were more willing to pay a higher price for the energy features than the well-being-promoting features. Low-income households indicate lower social norms, personal norms, and perceived behavioral control over adopting HEMS; they also perceive HEMS to be more difficult to use and less useful. Higher-income households express a higher trust in utilities than low-income households. Surprisingly, cost concerns, technology anxiety, and cybersecurity concerns relating to HEMS do not differ across income groups. This paper addresses the interactions among technology attributes and social-psychological and demographic factors, and provides policy implications and insights for future research.

Testing the Role of Waste Management and Environmental Quality on Health Indicators Using Structural Equation Modeling in Pakistan

Improper management of municipal waste has become a growing concern globally due to its impact on the environment, health, and overall living conditions of households in cities. Waste production has increased because households do not adopt waste management practices that ensure sustainability. Previous studies on household waste management often considered socio-economic aspects and overlooked the environmental and behavioral factors influencing the disposal practices and health status. This study adopted four constructs, defensive attitude, environmental knowledge, environmental quality, and waste disposal, by employing a structural equation modeling approach to explore research objectives. Data from 849 households of the Islamabad-Rawalpindi metropolitan was collected by using a multi-stage sampling technique. The structural model results showed that the two constructs, environmental knowledge and defensive behavior, positively affect household health status. The most significant health-related considerations are waste disposal and environmental quality, both of which negatively impact health status and do not support our hypothesis. The results provide valuable perspectives to enable households to engage actively in waste management activities. The findings indicate that understanding the intentions of household health status drivers can assist policymakers and agencies in promoting an efficient and successful community programmes related to sustainable solid waste management by allowing them to foster how the desired behavior can be achieved.

Young People's Behavioral Intentions towards Low-Carbon Travel: Extending the Theory of Planned Behavior

With the rapid development of China's economy and the rapid growth of the population, the demand for traffic is gradually changing from slow to fast, and the traffic congestion, air pollution, climate change and public health problems are becoming increasingly prominent. As residents' willingness for low-carbon travel plays a crucial role in alleviating the problems caused by traffic, many studies pay attention to this aspect, but young people are still an obviously neglected group in the study of willingness for low-carbon travel. The novelty of this study lies in the extension of environmental concern and perceived moral obligation to the theory of planned behavior to explore the factors influencing young people's low-carbon travel behavioral intention. The structural equation modeling is validated with a sample of 235 young respondents. The results show that attitude, perceived behavior control, environmental concern and perceived moral obligation have a significant positive correlation with young people's low-carbon travel behavioral intention, while subjective norm has not. By revealing young people's intention of low-carbon travel, this study could help to enhance the understanding of young people's low-carbon travel choices, and could provide guidance for how to guide young people to choose low-carbon travel in the future.

What drives private landowner decisions? Exploring non-native grass management in the eastern Great Plains

Non-native grasses used as forage for domestic livestock can negatively impact ecosystem services provided by grasslands. In the U.S., most grazed grasslands are privately owned so the introduction and reduction of non-native grasses are both driven by landowner behavior. Yet, the social factors that shape non-native grass management are rarely explored. To address this knowledge gap, we evaluated how decisions to reduce these grasses through practices such as herbicide application, prescribed fire, and physical removal are influenced by attitudes, norms, and perceived ability. We administered a mixed mode (mailback and online) survey in 2017 to landowners in the eastern Great Plains of the U.S., in a region where cattle production remains the predominant land-use. Using structural equation modeling with parceling, we tested hypotheses related to management decisions derived from a model integrating two theories - the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Norm Activation Model. In this analysis, we identified perceived ability (i.e., access to time, skills, or other necessary resources) as a barrier to adoption for landowners who were already willing to manage non-native grasses. Positive attitudes toward management and increased social norm pressures were both associated with increased sentiments of moral responsibility to reduce non-native grasses. These personal norms, together with attitudes, positively influenced willingness to control non-native grasses. Further, we observed that social norms related to expectations of neighbors had more influence on personal norms than the social norms from natural resource agencies. The power of norms to explain individual management decisions suggests that landowners could be engaged in landscape-scale initiatives by leveraging moral responsibility and influential social groups.

Modeling smallholder livestock herders' intentions to adopt climate smart practices: An extended theory of planned behavior

Climate change is persistently causing adverse effects to the agriculture sector of developing countries, specifically in Asia. Pakistan is no exception to this effect and is ranked among the top 10 countries, which are most vulnerable to climate change. A huge upcoming challenge is to sustain an equilibrium among production and environmental protection. In this context, adaptation to climate change is considered as a win-win strategy for agriculture sectors in developing countries. However, numerous studies have focused on current farm-level adaptation while a scant interest has been shown on the role of physiological factors in the process of shaping small livestock herders' intentions towards environmental enrichment measures. A possible explanation of their lagging intentions is particular significance as they may comply with requisite climate adaptation measures or not. For deeper understanding, the current study investigates different psychological factors that affect the small livestock herder's intentions on adopting climate smart practices by using theory of planned behavior (TPB) with additional constructs (moral norms, risk perception, and social attributes). To this end, 405 small livestock herders from Punjab, Pakistan, were selected on the basis of multistage random sampling. The results of structural equation model showed that all constructs accounted for 57% of the variances in small livestock herders' adoption intentions. The outcome of this research offers a new indication regarding the interrelationship of numerous variables which are crucial to understand behavioral changes and psychological interventions. Overall attitude was the most prominent construct in the extended TPB model, which is mainly influenced by risk perception awareness. The results suggest that veterinary experts and extension agents should focus on psychological factors to explore different prospects to increase the involvement of livestock herders in environmental enrichment measures with little effort rather than tackling with traditional practices because it will be more likely to affect people's consideration of the external obstructions to act. Findings also offer public and private intervention for enabling technical and policy environment and strengthen social networks to keep livestock herders on track of updates of running government policies to ensure them to adopt climate change measures for their prosperous future.

Coronavirus comes home? Energy use, home energy management, and the social-psychological factors of COVID-19

This study explores the dynamics of energy use patterns, climate change issues and the relationship between social-psychological factors, with residents' acceptance of and willingness to pay (WTP) for home energy management systems (HEMS) during the COVID-19 pandemic in New York. The results of our survey suggest that there were no longer morning or evening usage peaks on weekdays, and a significant portion of respondents are experiencing higher or much higher electricity use than average. Most residents' perception of climate change issues during COVID-19 remained unchanged. Attitude, perceived behavioral control, and social norms are overall the strongest predictors of adoption intention and WTP for HEMS. Regarding WTP for specific well-being features, attitude was the strongest positive predictor of telemedical and home security features, and social norms are the strongest positive predictor of elderly assistance and job search. Technology anxiety, surprisingly, positively influences WTP for the well-being features. Trust in utilities is not related to adoption intention, but is positively associated with WTP for the well-being features. Although cybersecurity concerns are positively associated with HEMS adoption intention for energy and well-being features, this relationship is not significant in WTP. Residents who had moderate perceived risk of getting COVID-19 are willing to pay more than the high- and low-risk groups. This paper addresses the interactions among technology attributes, and users' social-psychological and demographics factors. Additionally, this study provides insights for further research in examining technology adoption and energy dynamics during times of crises, such as the COVID-19.

Perceptions of ecosystem services, disservices and willingness-to-pay for urban green space conservation

While planning and management of urban green space (UGS) remain primarily driven by policymakers and expert knowledge, increasing attention has been paid to the general public's perception of and demand for UGS. This study was conducted to provide price-related outcomes to support UGS-related decision making and achieve an improved understanding of the causal relationships underpinning the residents' willingness-to-pay (WTP) for UGS conservation. An extensive survey with 3000 urban residents from three provincial capital cities in central China (i.e., Wuhan, Changsha and Nanchang) was conducted. We applied structural equation modelling to examine a range of hypothetical causal relationships among residents' perceptions about ecosystem services/disservices provided by UGS, frequency of UGS visits, socioeconomic status (SES) and WTP for the conservation of five different types of UGS. We found that residents had an average WTP of 202.4 CNY or 30.6 USD per year cross UGS types, with the attached green space having the greatest WTP (223.0 CNY or 33.7 USD per year), followed by park (215.4 CNY or 32.6 USD year), square (201.7 CNY or 30.5 USD year), suburban ecological (190.1 CNY or 28.7 USD year) and protective (182.0 CNY or 27.5 USD year) green spaces. Perceptions of UGS's ecosystem services had a positive causal impact on WTP, while perceptions of ecosystem disservices would have a negative impact. The frequency of UGS visits was found to amplify WTP at a limited level. It could further heighten and diminish the perceptions of ecosystem services and disservices. Participants with higher SES typically had greater perceptions of UGS's ecosystem services and WTP. Finally, we found that the structure of the causal relationships on WTP varied between cities, highlighting the importance of considering the fine-level impacts of biophysical environment jointly. Our results could help urban planners to understand better the ways urban green space was perceived and anticipate the likely effects of changing spatial patterns of UGS on the benefits and nuisances experienced by the general public.

A card game to renew urban parks: Face-to-face and online approach for the inclusive involvement of local community

Urban parks are often designed and renewed using standardized models that fail to incorporate the different functions and services required by the local communities served. Furthermore, when the citizens are involved in co-design, the participation processes are seldom fully inclusive, and the results are not representative of the entire local community. The paper starts from these considerations for developing an innovative participatory design method to renew urban parks. This method simultaneously uses multiple and alternative participation tools for adapting to the different technical skills of the citizens and to their inclinations. Furthermore, it entails the analysis and interpretation of the expectations of the local community in light of the urban green network. The method uses the conceptual framework of the SWOT analysis and the Trochim's concept mapping for developing a card game playable face to face or online. The results of the card game are processed using the statistical analysis to identify the main design themes (the clusters), and to split the participants' suggestions into different design alternatives. Successively, the participants vote these alternatives for selecting the renewal design respondent to the local community's needs.

Willingness to Pay for More Sustainable Tourism Destinations in World Heritage Cities: The Case of Caceres, Spain

Sustainable tourism management is becoming an increasingly important factor in the image of tourist destinations. Therefore, it is appropriate to consider the possibility of charging a premium price on certain tourism products or services in exchange for making them more sustainable. Generally, eco-friendly management of cultural heritage sites, and particularly World Heritage sites, along with protected natural areas, is essential for the image enhancement of tourist destinations. In line with these considerations, this paper aims to quantify the willingness to pay (WTP) an extra amount in order for certain tourism products and services to become more sustainable in a World Heritage city such as Caceres, Spain. By using the contingent valuation method, the average price increase that tourists visiting the city would be willing to pay for a double room in a hotel, a restaurant, entrance to a museum, or a taxi ride, all of which would become more sustainable services, has been estimated. In addition to the aggregate analysis, diverse average-comparison statistical techniques have been used in order to determine the possible influence of sociodemographic factors on the WTP for more sustainable products and services. Specifically, factors including the effect resulting from a tourist’s place of origin, gender, the year when the survey was conducted (through t-tests), and the effect of age and educational levels (through ANOVA tests) on the WTP for sustainability, have been analyzed. When considering all of the sociodemographic factors involved, notable statistical differences have been found. This implies that when a hypothetical increase in tourism prices for the purpose of financing public or private sustainability actions is considered, different segments of the tourism market should be taken into account, since it would not be appropriate to apply the same policy of price increases to all tourists equally.

Drivers of farmers' intention to use integrated pest management: Integrating theory of planned behavior and norm activation model

Integrated pest management (IPM) has been promoted as an environmentally friendly pest control approach, but its adoption by farmers, particularly in developing countries, is low. The main purpose of the current study was to examine factors affecting the intention of farmers to use IPM practices in Iran. The research model was developed using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Norm Activation Model (NAM) and was empirically tested using data obtained from structured interviews with 327 tomato producers in Zanjan Province in northwestern Iran. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis indicated that all three components of attitude, perceived behavioral control (PBC), and subjective norm significantly influenced intention in the original TPB, while subjective norm had no statistically significant effect on intention in the integrative TPB-NAM. Despite this fact, subjective norm significantly impacted attitude, PBC, and personal norm in the integrative model. The study also supported the significant effect of awareness of consequences (AC) on personal norm, ascription of responsibility (AR), attitude, and subjective norm as well as the significant effect of AR on personal norm. Overall, personal norm was the most salient determinant of farmers' intention to use IPM practices in the integrative model. Most notably, integrating the constructs of TPB and NAM and particularly adding the interrelationships among the volitional, moral, and cognitive dimensions of the two models significantly enhanced the predictive power, utility, and comprehensiveness of the proposed framework for explaining farmers' intention to use IPM practices. The findings of this research provide a clearer understanding of factors driving the promotion of IPM among farming community and can be a basis for developing IPM policy interventions in Iran and other developing countries.

Determinants of Consumer Intentions to Purchase Energy-Saving Household Products in Pakistan

The looming threat of climate change has become an undeniable harsh reality. Inefficient energy consumption is one of the major causes of this threat. Protecting the aquatic and terrestrial environment by reducing carbon footprints is a shared responsibility. In this pursuit, the contribution of household sector is extremely valuable and use of energy-saving products can be helpful to epitomize the goal of achieving sustainability. This study aims to investigate the determinants of consumers’ intention to purchase energy-saving household products by integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and Technology Readiness Index (TRI) 2.0’s four indicators (optimism, innovativeness, discomfort and insecurity). This study applied a hypo deductive research approach. Using cross sectional data, a total 396 valid questionnaires were collected to validate the proposed hypothesis by using Partial Least Square (PLS) path modeling approach (a variance based SEM technique). Results showed that contributors of technology readiness positively influence residents’ attitude towards their buying intention, while inhibitors of technology readiness negatively affect this relationship. Further, attitude and perceived behavioral control were found to be significant determinants of intention to purchase energy-saving household products. Based on the above research findings, implications for marketers and policy makers are discussed, moreover future research directions are suggested.

Influence of Environmental Concern and Knowledge on Households’ Willingness to Purchase Energy-Efficient Appliances: A Case Study in Shanxi, China

With the increases in residents’ household energy consumption and carbon emissions, to conserve regional energy and reduce emissions, studying the factors affecting residents’ willingness to purchase energy-efficient appliances and their mechanisms of action is necessary. In this research, based on the theory of extended planned behavior and combined with environmental concern variables and environmental knowledge variables, a model of the factors influencing residents’ willingness to purchase energy-efficient appliances was constructed and an empirical study of urban residents in Shanxi Province, China was conducted. The research indicates that environmental concern, environmental knowledge, attitude, and perceived behavioral control are significantly positively correlated with residents’ willingness to purchase energy-efficient appliances. The influence of subjective norms on the willingness of residents to purchase energy-efficient appliances is not significant; environmental concern and environmental knowledge have a positive impact on attitudes and indirectly affect residents’ willingness to purchase energy-efficient appliances. This study focuses on improvement and research from the perspectives of theoretical expansion, indirect impact test, and analysis of typical underdeveloped energy-rich regions. This study provides corresponding policy suggestions from the perspectives of education and guidance, sales and marketing, and independent improvement for the government, sellers, and residents, to improve the residents’ willingness to purchase energy-efficient appliances.

Exploring the influence of an extended theory of planned behaviour on preferences and willingness to pay for participatory natural resources management

In this paper we explore the role of the theory of planned behaviour in the context of preferences for a decentralized governance of natural resources. A choice experiment was carried out to elicit preferences of the tourists for alternative options of natural resource management in a case study in Italy and data were collected by means of personal interviews. Indicators to assess the planned behaviour of respondents were collected by means of Likert scales that were then included in the choice model. Differently from previous research on planned behaviour we use an extended version of the theory that includes moral norms and explicitly account for endogeneity of the indicators with a hybrid mixed logit model, in which a latent variable is used to explain both answers to the indicators and management choices. Results suggest a general preference of respondents for local governance and indicate that the latent variable has a significant effect on explaining preference heterogeneity and improve model fit. In addition, results suggest that the theory of planned behaviour is appropriate to model individuals' behavioural intention and can be used to tailor marketing activities aiming at increasing people's pro-environmental behaviours.

Exploring the public's willingness to reduce air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions from private road transport in Catalonia

Internalizing environmental externalities is a market-driven approach to correcting people's private costs and benefits. One way of quantifying these externalities is estimating the willingness to pay (WTP) of people to reduce them. To better understand the determinants of this WTP, we use the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which is a commonly used approach for predicting behavioral intentions. Our study focuses on air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from private road transport. We gathered survey data from 406 residents of Catalonia to explore the relationships among the psychological factors determining willingness to pay to quantify the mentioned externalities. We expanded the TPB by adding as antecedent Environmental Concern (EC) prior to the theory's three main factors (Attitude, Subjective Norms and Perceived Behavioral Control). Next, we used Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to calculate an estimate of these externalities. The results of our study show that environmental concern is positively related to the three main factors of TPB. Our model accounts for most of the variation of WTP (R-squared is 94.7%). Our results also reveal that a majority of the respondents in Catalonia are willing to pay to reduce air pollution and GHG emissions from private road transport.

Intention and behavior towards green consumption among low-income households

In order to address the issues of climate change through wise management of resources and environmental conservation, this study examined the intention and behavior towards green consumption among low-income households. This study was a cross-sectional that relied on 380 low-income household respondents who lived in coastal areas of Peninsular Malaysia. The findings revealed a positive effect of eco-literacy and self-efficacy on attitude towards green products. Subsequently, the findings also ascertained a positive effect of attitude and perceived behavioral control on intention and consumption of green products. In addition, both scholars and policymakers can rely on these findings to increase the intention and behavior towards the consumption of green products in order to reduce the environmental vulnerability to the coastal communities. Therefore, responsible organizations should implement programs and policies that minimize the adverse effects of climate change through resource management and environmental conservation by promoting the use of green products among Malaysians.

Factors Affecting Inn Operators’ Willingness to Pay Resource Protection Fees: A Case of Erhai Lake in China

Willingness to pay (WTP) is a foundation of payment for environmental services (PES) and varies according to different stakeholders. Because of its high-quality environment, numerous inns have appeared around Erhai Lake, which has become the inn sector leader in China. Declining water quality of the lake contrasts sharply with the increasing number of inns, thus a policy that balances economic development and water protection is needed desperately. The Erhai Lake Resource Protection Fee (ELRPF) is a form of PES, constructed on the basis of the contingent value method (CVM) involving the relationship between perceived benefits, institutional trust, awareness, and supportive attitude. Using relevant data obtained from a survey questionnaire, SmartPls 3.0 software was used to analyze the factors influencing inn operators’ WTP. The results of the analysis of 307 questionnaires showed that institutional trust, PES cognition, and attitudes toward support significantly affected inn operators’ WTP, while perceived benefit did not. This result differs from results of research on other tourism stakeholders. The reasons for this difference might be the specific identity of operators, their cultural and place identity, ability and professional education, and complexities of the broker of ecosystem services.

Which factors influence farmers' intentions to adopt nutrient management planning?

The adoption of nutrient management practices can lead to win-win outcomes in terms of both improving productivity and reducing the environmental impact of farming. However, adoption of key practices remains below expectations globally. Few studies specifically focus on the adoption of nutrient management practices and the majority overlook psychological factors in their analysis. This study examines the factors which influence Irish farmers' intention to apply fertiliser on the basis of soil test results. An expanded version of the theory of planned behaviour is used as a framework for analysis. The influence of policy is also accounted for by this study which requires certain farmers in Ireland to adopt soil testing on a mandatory basis. The results for the national sample (n = 1009) show that attitudes, subjective norms (social pressure), perceived behavioural control (ease/difficulty) and perceived resources are significant and positively associated with farmers' intentions. In terms of the voluntary sample (n = 587), only attitude, perceived behavioural control and perceived resources are significantly and positively associated with farmers' intentions. Whereas, for the mandatory sample (n = 422), subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and perceived resources are significantly and correlated in a positive direction with intentions. A number of farm and farmer characteristics are also significantly associated with intentions. Policy recommendations are made based on these results.

Factors influencing tourists' litter management behavior in mountainous tourism areas in China

Bringing self-generated litter down the mountain is an emerging pro-environmental behavior to solve the problem of trail's litter management in China. This study is the first attempt to explore a theoretical explanation model that explicates tourists' complex intention-forming process for engaging in it. The study extended the Theory of Planned Behavior model, including three additional explaining variables (environmental theory knowledge, environmental practice knowledge, and incentive measures), as well as a moderator of travel companions between subjective norm and the behavioral intention. The data were collected in questionnaire survey samples of 372 tourists in Huangshan National Park (HNP) and analyzed by the method of the structural equation model. The results showed that (1) attitude toward the behavior, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and incentive measures significantly affected the behavioral intention; (2) environmental theory knowledge and environmental practice knowledge had indirect effects on the behavioral intention via the mediator of attitude toward the behavior; and (3) the strength of the relationship for the family group between subjective norm and the behavioral intention was significantly greater than the non-family group. Finally, we presented several effective suggestions to improve tourists' intention of bringing self-generated litter down the mountain.

Behavioural informatics for improving water hygiene practice based on IoT environment

The development of Internet of Things (IoT) and latest Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have changed the nature of healthcare monitoring and health behaviour intervention in many applications. Water hygiene and water conservation behaviour intervention as important influence factors to human health are gaining much attentions for improving sustained sanitation practice. Based on face-to-face delivery, typical behaviour intervention method is costly and hardly to provide all day access to personalised intervention guidance and feedbacks. In this study, we presented a behavioural information system and water use behaviour model using IoT platform. Using Expanded Theory of Planned Behaviour (ETPB) and adopted structure equation model, this study offers a solution for understanding the behaviour intervention mechanism and methodology for developing empirical model. A case study of behaviour intervention model is presented by utilising residential water conservation behaviour data collected in China. Results suggested that cultural differences have significant influences on the understanding of intervention drivers, promoting projects and increasing awareness, which could improve the behaviour intervention efficiency and further facilitate the improvement of water hygiene practice. The performance evaluation of water saving dimension is discussed as well in the paper.

Effects of attitudes and demography on public support for endangered species conservation

It is critical for managers to understand how attitudes and demography affect public's preferences for species protection for designing successful conservation projects. 1080 adults in Greece were asked to rate pictures of 12 endangered species on aesthetic and negativistic attitudes, and intention to support their conservation. Factor analysis identified a group of animals for which respondents indicated high levels of support for their conservation (red deer, loggerhead sea turtle, brown bear, common pheasant, European ground squirrel, glossy ibis) and a group of animals for which respondents indicated low levels of support (black vulture, great white shark, fire-bellied toad, western barbastelle, Cretan tube web spider, Milos viper). The species that received the highest support were also rated as the most attractive and safest, excluding the fearsome brown bear. Structural models revealed that aesthetic, moralistic and negativistic attitudes were the stronger predictors of support. Aesthetic and moralistic attitudes were positively, and negativistic attitudes negatively, correlated with support for conservation in both groups. Consumptive users scored lower in aesthetics and were less supportive of protection in the high support group, while nonconsumptive users showed the opposite trend. Respondents residing in urban areas deemed animals of high support more attractive and less fearsome and were more supportive of conservation than rural residents in both groups. Females of higher education viewed animals of low support as fearsome, however they supported their conservation. Our study identified popular species that can be used as flagship species to facilitate the implementation of conservation projects. The results of this study could also be used to design a communication and outreach campaign to raise awareness about the ecosystem value of less attractive species.