An Empirical Test of an Expanded Version of the Theory of Planned Behavior in Predicting Recycling Behavior on Campus

The Perception and Attitude of Farmers toward Domestic Waste Classifications: A Case Study on Wusheng County, Sichuan Province, China

The effective treatment of rural domestic waste is the key to solving rural environmental pollution and realizing rural ecological revitalization. Giving full play to the main role of farmers' domestic waste classification can improve the efficiency and effect of domestic waste treatment. To explore the key factors affecting the farmers' perception, attitude, and behavior of domestic waste classification, this study with 318 farmers in Sichuan Province as the research object, the research framework of domestic waste classification behavior was constructed based on the theory of planned behavior, and then, the logistic regression model was used for the empirical test. The results show that the farmers' education levels, subjective norms, relatives' and neighbors' views on waste classification, farmers' awareness regarding the negative environmental impacts caused by waste, farmers' private benefits, and farmers' views on the waste management ability of local governments are significantly positively correlated with the classification behavior of farmers' domestic waste. The distance between farmers' houses and waste collection points is significantly negatively correlated with the classification behavior of farmers' domestic waste. This paper provides a certain theoretical reference for realizing the reduction, resourcization, and positive development of rural domestic waste management in China.

Psychosocial indicators of individual behavior during COVID 19: Delphi approach

The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the weakness of the health care system to incorporate indicators of human behavior in the rapid response to the virus. This study aims to establish consensus on the psychosocial indicators of COVID-19 preventive behaviors during the initial phase of the outbreak in Arab countries. This qualitative study used a combined scoping review of the literature to develop the 24 psychosocial indicators and the Delphi approach with a panel of 27 experts from nine Arab countries to achieve a consensus on preventive behavior indicators. The most robust agreement with an average rating of at least 4 was found for five social indicators including Belief System with an average rating (5). Income Status average rating (4.9). Family Commitment average rating (4). Faith average rating (4). Kinship System average rating (3.9). Four psychological indicators were identified namely Self-Efficacy with an average rating of (5). Perception of Hazard with an average rating of (4.5). Motivation with an average rating of (4.5). Stigma with an average rating of (4.2). The nine indicators provide a strong base for redesigning pandemic control interventions. The Delphi study demonstrates the feasibility of a participatory approach during the outbreak of COVID-19. Moreover, future interventions need to accommodate individual psychological and social determinants to increase adherence and decrease resistance to public health guidelines.

Differences in behavior, engagement and environmental knowledge on waste management for science and social students through the campus program

It is proven that the educational environment contributes to increasing knowledge about waste. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the environmental education process in higher institutions with various policies and programs in good waste management. It focuses on the behavior, engagement, and environmental knowledge of students in the science and social department at Syiah Kuala University, Indonesia. Furthermore, it examines the differences in behavior, engagement, and environmental knowledge of waste management through campus programs. This study collected data from 279 social science and science students with characteristics of 123 males and 156 females with an average age of 18.4 years from 18-20 years spread across Syiah Kuala University, Indonesia. The study data were collected through a questionnaire involving 279 students related to environmental behavior, engagement, and knowledge in waste management. Data analysis used descriptive and multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) one-way using SPSS version 23 application for windows. The results showed that the students have good environmental attitudes, engagement, and knowledge in waste management with various existing policies and programs. Generally, the average score majoring in social and science from the behavioral variables is [(3,71), (3,62)], engagement is [(3,39), (3,52)] and environmental knowledge is [(3,43), (3,67)] for waste management. Their environmental behavior majoring in social science was higher. Similarly, in environmental engagement and knowledge, students majoring in science were higher than in social science. These results provide an understanding that programs and policies related to environmental conservation have a significant impact on environmental behavior, engagement, and knowledge for sustainable development free of waste. Therefore, institutions at all levels should provide education on environmental conservation with various policies and programs to support a free waste environment.

Demystifying the complexity and heterogeneity of recycling behavior in organizational settings: A mixed-methods approach

Research on recycling has advanced across different disciplines, although the current knowledge about recycling behaviors at the corporate level remains elusive. While most studies on recycling are focused on households, there is no indication that people who recycle at home engage in similar behavior when at work. To understand how to facilitate recycling at work, this study investigates recycling behavior at work and its antecedents. The study adopts a sequential exploratory mixed method (MM) approach as its methodological framework, using semi-structured interviews and statistical analysis through structural equation modelling (SEM). According to the findings, factors such as types and volumes of waste, responsibility/accountability, personal control, recycling schemes, institutional supports, and group harmony contribute to recycling behavior in organizational settings. The study demonstrates contextual attributes' contribution, particularly organizational support and social context of recycling to employees' recycling behavior. For recycling to be normative at the corporate level, this MM study argues for the need to harmonize schemes within and across contexts. There is a need to install similar recycling schemes and facilities within and across waste generation contexts to reduce the recycling complexity and maintain consistency in recycling behavior. This study's findings could assist waste planners and policymakers in designing effective waste management schemes that would contribute to the circular economy initiatives. We further discussed the implication of the study.

Psychological Drivers of Hotel Guests’ Energy-Saving Behaviours—Empirical Research Based on the Extended Theory of Planned Behaviour

The hospitality industry is an important energy consumer and carbon emitter. Behaviour-driven energy conservation is a strategy with great promise to strengthen the energy efficiency of hotel buildings. The aim of this study is to explore the driving psychological factors of hotel guests’ energy-saving intentions and behaviours. This paper constructs two extensions of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) with personal norms, past behaviours, and self-determined motivation to explain the guests’ energy-saving behaviour in hotel buildings. This research compares the explanatory power of the original TPB and two extensions with structural equation modelling. The analysis is based on 530 valid, self-reported data from 827 surveyed hotel guests in Shanghai. The analysis suggests that the extended model gains greater explanatory power in predicting the behaviour patterns by employing the above three additional factors. In addition, self-determined motivation presents a more significant impact than other more developed TPB predictors, such as intention and perceived behaviour control. Aside from that, past behaviour replaces attitude as the most critical predictor of hotel energy-saving intention in the extended models. In addition to the existing interventions in office and residential buildings, the research highlights the role of self-determination in hotel energy conservation and further emphasises the long-term benefit of encouraging pro-environmental behaviours in hotel guests. The findings expand the existing research on pro-environmental behaviours and will contribute to energy-saving behaviour intervention in hotel buildings and policy formulations for sustainable hotel operation and maintenance.

Tailoring Temporal Message Frames to Individuals' Time Orientation Strengthens the Relationship between Risk Perception and Behavioral Intention

While health behavior theories conceptualize risk perception as a major factor motivating protective action against risk, empirical support for this widely-assumed proposition has been inconclusive. Given the inherent issue concerning the delay of desired outcomes in most health behaviors, this research proposes the congruence between temporal frame and individuals' trait time orientation (i.e., consideration of future consequences; CFC) as an important moderator in the risk perception-behavioral intention relationship. Findings from two experiments concerning messages promoting adequate sleep (N = 227; Study 1) and plastic bottle recycling (N = 223; Study 2) showed that the relationship between risk perception and behavioral intention was significantly stronger when temporal frames and CFC were more congruent (i.e., tailored). Nuanced differences in the moderating effects of frame-CFC congruence were observed depending on how risk perception was operationalized (i.e., susceptibility only, severity only, or combination of the two). Implications for health communication message design are discussed.

Comparing the impact of educational messages based on an extended parallel process model on solid waste separation behaviors in female students: A four-group randomized trial

BACKGROUND

The increase in non-separated solid waste is a threat to environmental health. People may be motivated to reduce the destructive effects of waste accumulation in the environment by receiving educational messages and learning the proper methods of waste separation. This study aimed to determine the effect of educational messages on waste separation in dormitory students based on Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM).

METHODS

This randomized controlled trial was performed on 320 students categorized into four groups from October to December 2019. After installing waste separation tags on separate containers, three types of messages were presented to encourage and educate waste separation in the following four groups: threat messages; efficacy messages; threat/efficacy messages; and control group. Data were collected prior to and one week after training by a self-reported valid and reliable questionnaire. They were analyzed in SPSS21.

RESULTS

In the efficacy group and threat/efficacy group, not only the mean scores of "perceived threat associated with non-segregation and waste accumulation", "attitude" and "intention" but also the mean score of "efficacy" and "waste separation behavior" were improved (P < 0.05). In both groups, the mean score of "perceived barriers" for waste separation was lower than the other two groups (P < 0.001).

DISCUSSION

Use of efficacy-based massages alone or in combination with the threat component was proposed to promote waste separation. No specific study has documented the effectiveness of messages based on EPPM on solid waste separation behaviors. The current study highlighted the effectiveness of using EPPM to promote waste-separation behavior in practice, not in theory.

Gender perspective on the factors predicting recycling behavior: Implications from the theory of planned behavior

This study aimed to assess the role of some socio-psychological attributes in explaining recycling behavior of Turkish university community from a gender perspective within the context of the theory of planned behavior with an additional variable (past experience). The recycling behavior of whole sample, females and males, has been examined in 3 sessions -depending on the arguments that explain gendered pattern of private and public environmental behavior and sticking to the fact why females' stronger environmental values, beliefs, and attitudes do not translate consistently into greater engagement in public behavior. As a result of model runs, different variables shaping intention for behavior have been found, namely perceived behavior control for females and past behavior for males. Due to the low percent of the variance in explaining recycling behavior of females, they have been identified as the ones who do not carry out intentions (non-recyclers). Since intentions alone are capable of identifying recyclers accurately but not non-recyclers, there may be other factors to be considered to understand the reason for females not carrying out the intentions. The results of descriptive statistics supported the identification by attitudes toward recycling. Female attitudes were innate (recycling is good, necessary, useful and sensitive), whereas those of males were learnt (recycling is healthy, valuable and correct). Thus, it has been concluded that males' intention for recycling is shaped by their past behavior and the conclusion is supported by males having learnt attitude toward recycling whereas females' lack of intention for recycling is shaped by their perceived behavior control and is supported by their innate attitude for recycling. All in all, the results of the present study provide further support for the utility of the TPB as a model of behavioral prediction and concur with other studies examining the utility of the TPB in the context of recycling.

Determinants and logistics of e-waste recycling

Purpose

– The rapid consumption of new electronic devices has expanded the volume of electronic waste (e-waste) and created a potential threat to the environment. Recycling of e-waste (eCycling) can help stem the proliferation of e-waste and its environmental threat. In order to increase this positive involvement in eCycling and design effective eCycling programs, a better understanding of eCycling behaviors is needed. The purpose of this paper is to employ the Theory of Reasoned Action as a framework to develop a model to identify the determinants of eCycling behavior.

Design/methodology/approach

– To assess the model, a survey of 327 university students is undertaken. To analyze the eCycling behavior from the survey data, a structural equation modeling technique is used.

Findings

– The findings suggest that: attitudes and moral norms positively influence eCycling behavior; the higher the awareness of consequences, the more the eCycling involvement; and perceived convenience is an important factor that leads to more involvement in eCycling.

Research limitations/implications

– This research is limited by the student sample and campus environment that might confine the generalizability of the study. Also, additional variables need to be examined in order to better explain eCycling behavior. The result of the study provides insights for organizations to build successful eCycling programs, engage young adults such as college students in eCycling, and increase involvement in eCycling.

Practical implications

– This study provides insights that can help supply chain managers to better understand the consumer involvement in eCycling. Managers’ understanding of eCycling behavior would encourage eCycling involvement by placing drop-off units in convenient locations and by creating campaigns that motivate consumers to return their e-waste. An increased consumer involvement in eCycling can help manufacturing companies lower the cost of e-waste across the supply chain and regain the value of returned materials by adopting reverse logistics.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the stream of eCycling literature by investigating students’ eCycling intentions and behaviors on a university campus. The paper develops an understanding of how eCycling involvement might be improved.

Household waste behaviours among a community sample in Iran: an application of the theory of planned behaviour

Understanding the factors influencing recycling behaviour can lead to better and more effective recycling programs in a community. The goal of this study was to examine factors associated with household waste behaviours in the context of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) among a community sample of Iranians that included data collection at time 1 and at follow-up one year later at time 2. Study participants were sampled from households under the coverage of eight urban health centers in the city of Qazvin. Of 2000 invited households, 1782 agreed to participate in the study. A self-reported questionnaire was used for assessing socio-demographic factors and the TPB constructs (i.e. attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and intention). Furthermore, questions regarding moral obligation, self-identity, action planning, and past recycling behaviour were asked, creating an extended TPB. At time 2, participants were asked to complete a follow-up questionnaire on self-reported recycling behaviours. All TPB constructs had positive and significant correlations with each other. Recycling behaviour at time 1 (past behaviour) significantly related to household waste behaviour at time 2. The extended TPB explained 47% of the variance in household waste behaviour at time 2. Attitude, perceived behavioural control, intention, moral obligation, self-identity, action planning, and past recycling behaviour were significant predictors of household waste behaviour at time 2 in all models. The fact that the expanded TPB constructs significantly predicted household waste behaviours holds great promise for developing effective public campaigns and behaviour-changing interventions in a region where overall rates of household waste reduction behaviours are low. Our results indicate that educational materials which target moral obligation and action planning may be particularly effective.