Be green and clearly be seen: How consumer values and attitudes affect adoption of bicycle sharing

Environmental concerns have propelled public and private entities to search for ways to increase usage of public bicycle sharing systems. However, usage rates in many cities remain below expectations. Using the theory of perceived value to motivate our hypotheses, this paper evaluates the impact of perceived value on consumer adoption intentions, and assesses the moderating effects of social and personal attitudes towards environmental behavior, on perceived value-adoption intention relationships. Our findings suggest that public bicycle sharing adoption intention is significantly influenced by its perceived functional, conditional, green and social values. Moreover, personal and social attitudes towards “greenness” and bicycle sharing, respectively, are found to moderate the relationship between perceived values and adoption intentions. This research contributes to theory-building in bicycle sharing adoption, and informs business and government leaders on how to promote adoption.     

Intention of Chinese college students to use carsharing: An application of the theory of planned behavior

Carsharing originated in Europe and then expanded to developed countries such as the United States. With the revival and popularity of the “Sharing Economy,” carsharing has remarkably increased in China in recent years. Carsharing has increased convenience for individuals without private cars and is changing the traditional view of car ownership. Chinese college students are a large, highly educated group with low incomes and low rates of car ownership. Understanding the determinants of Chinese college students' intention to carshare is critical to promote carsharing services. In this research, an expanded version of the theory of planned behavior, which contains environmental concern, is the theoretical research framework. The model was empirically tested by using the questionnaire data of 356 college students from four universities in Qingdao, China. The results indicate that subjective norm and the perceived behavioral control are directly and positively associated with Chinese college students’ intention to use carsharing, and attitude and environmental concern have no direct correlation with the intention. Environmental concern has a significant direct effect on attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. In addition, environmental concern indirectly impacts Chinese college students’ intention to use carsharing through subjective norm and perceived behavioral control. The findings yield practical insights for carsharing organizations and transportation planners. Based on these results, limitations of this study and suggestions for further research are discussed.     

Majority versus minority influence and prediction of behavioral intentions and behavior

Two experiments examined the effects of majority and minority influence on attitude-consistent behavioral intentions. In the first experiment, when attitudes were changed via minority influence there was a greater likelihood to engage in an attitude-consistent behavioral intention than when attitudes were changed via majority influence. This suggests that minority influence leads to stronger attitudes (based on systematic processing) that are more predictive of behavioral intentions, while attitude change via majority influence is due to compliance through non-systematic processing. Further support for this interpretation comes from the finding that the amount of message-congruent elaboration mediated behavioral intention. When there was no attitude change, there was no impact on behavioral intention to engage in an attitude-consistent behavior. Experiment 2 explored the role of personal relevance of the topic and also included a real behavioral measure. When the topic was of low personal relevance, the same pattern was found as Experiment 1. When the topic was of high personal relevance, thus increasing the motivation to engage in systematic processing, attitudes changed by both a majority and minority source increased behavioral intention and actual behavior. The results are consistent with the view that both majorities and minorities can lead to different processes and consequences under different situations.     

Psychological predictors of eco-driving: A longitudinal study

Eco-driving has well-known positive effects on fuel economy and greenhouse-gas emissions. Moreover, eco-driving reduces road-traffic noise, which is a serious threat to the health and well-being of many people. We investigated the psychological predictors of the adoption of eco-driving from the perspective of road-traffic noise abatement. The data came from 890 car drivers who participated in a longitudinal survey over four months. Specifically, we tested the effects of the intention to prevent road-traffic noise, variables derived from the theory of planned behavior (social norm, perceived behavioral control, and attitude), and variables derived from the health action process approach (implementation intention, maintenance self-efficacy, and action control) on the intention to practice eco-driving and on eco-driving behavior. The intention to prevent road-traffic noise was not linked to the intention to practice eco-driving. The strongest predictors of the intention to practice eco-driving were attitude and perceived behavioral control. The strongest predictor of eco-driving behavior was action control. The link between behavioral intention and behavior was weak, indicating that drivers have difficulties putting their intention to practice eco-driving into action. Therefore, intervention efforts should directly address and support the transition from intention to behavior. This could be accomplished by providing reminders, which help to maintain behavioral intention, and by providing behavior feedback, which helps car drivers to monitor their behavior.     

Physically active students' intentions and self-efficacy towards healthy eating

This study investigated intentions and self-efficacy of physically active university students towards healthy eating. The application of Planned Behavior theory has shown that attitudes, intention, perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms play an important role in shaping people's behavior. 96 students, who participated in physical activities, voluntarily completed the Questionnaire for the Planned Behavior Model and the Health Behavior Questionnaire. The former examines attitudes, intentions, perceived behavioral control, and the lately added attitude strength, and role identity towards the behavior factors. The latter assesses one's efficacy expectations towards healthy eating. The regression showed strong associations between the examined variables, signifying that attitudes, perceived behavioral control, and role identity could account for one's intention towards healthy eating behaviors. On the other hand, one's self-efficacy for healthy eating could be explained from the attitudes, intention, perceived behavioral control, and attitude strength held. Overall, systematic participation in physical activities appeared to be accompanied with a relatively healthier diet, while self-efficacy had a significant association with maintaining the healthy eating behaviors. Possible interpretations, limitations, and implications for health professionals are discussed.     

Exploring psychological factors of mobile phone use while riding among motorcyclists in Vietnam

Mobile phone use while riding is one of the five most common risky behaviors of motorcycle riders in Vietnam. This study investigated motorcyclist’s mobile phone use while riding intention and behavior based on the extended Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) framework. Based on this framework, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, habits, and health motivation underlying the rider’s mobile phone use while riding intentions and behavior were included in a questionnaire and captured by direct and indirect measurements. Small-displacement motorcycle riders (N = 291) completed the extended TPB based questionnaire. An exploratory factor analysis technique identified the selected factors (e.g., attitude, habit, etc.). Moreover, Structural Equation Modeling results showed moderate to good fits to the observed data. Therefore, the results supported the utilization of extended TPB framework in identifying factors of mobile phone use while riding intention and behavior. Specifically, negative attitude, perceived behavioral control, and mobile phone use while riding habit related to the intention to use a mobile phone while riding of small-displacement motorcyclists. Meanwhile, habit and behavioral intention related to the behavior to use a mobile phone while riding of small-displacement motorcycle riders. Especially, the correlation between behavioral intention and self-reported behavior was very strong. This finding embraced previous research indicating that intention was a major motivational component of behavior. Based on the results, safety intervention implications for small-displacement motorcycle riders were discussed.     

Application of an Integrated Behavioral Model to Predict Condom Use: A Prospective Study Among High HIV Risk Groups1

An integrated theoretical model using constructs from multiple behavioral models was applied to understand and predict condom use among a sample of injecting drug users, commercial sex workers, men who have sex with men, and multipartnered heterosexuals. Elicitation interviews were conducted to develop a questionnaire to measure model constructs that may be predictive of condom use for sex with vaginal, anal, and oral regular and casual partners. A prospective survey design was used, with 993 participants interviewed at Time 1, and 686 returning for Time 2 interviews 3 months later. Regression analyses were conducted using Time 1 measures to predict intention and Time 2 behavior. Strong support was found for a model that includes attitude, social norm, and facilitators/constraints as predictors of behavior, with multiple correlations in the 0.20 to 0.40 range. Findings also indicate perceived control and facilitators/constraints are distinct constructs and both, along with attitude and social norm, contribute to explaining behavioral intention. Implications for intervention development are discussed.     

Online purchases in an Infocomm sophisticated society.

This paper presents a preliminary investigation of attitude and intention in relation to online shopping in Singapore. Singaporeans display high levels of Infocomm proficiency, the result of many intense government initiatives to transform the country into an Intelligent Community. Does this Internet embracing environment enhance attitude and intention to online shopping? This study considers the links between personal consequences, subjective norms, behavioral control, and personal innovativeness with attitude and intention among Singaporeans. It uses a model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior and makes some initial comparisons of its findings with those of existing studies. The effects of behavioral control and intention on actual purchase behavior are not investigated. Findings permit the tentative proposition that level of Infocomm knowledge impacts on attitude and intention.     

Predicting Participation in Cancer Screening: The Role of Perceived Behavioral Control1

We examined the role played by perceived behavioral control in predicting participation in colorectal cancer screening among individuals recently informed that they were at high risk for this type of cancer. A telephone interview based primarily on the theory of reasoned action was administered to 96 high-risk individuals and 144 average-risk individuals. All participants then were sent materials needed to complete the screening test. In both groups, perceived behavioral control enhanced prediction of intention to complete the test over and above the contributions of attitude and subjective norm. In addition, perceived behavioral control had a direct effect on behavior but only in the high-risk group. Further, for high-risk subjects, knowledge about test procedures moderated the relationship of perceived behavioral control and intention to behavior, but in ways only partially consistent with theory. Finally, the model was better at predicting behavior in the average than in the high-risk group. We conclude that perceived behavioral control plays an important role in the prediction of screening behavior. Perceived behavioral control's motivational role manifests itself unambiguously through its influence on intention. The role of perceived behavioral control above and beyond its influence on intention, however, needs further study and clarification.     

Predicting Child Restraint Device Use: A Comparison of Two Models1

This study's first objective was to apply Ajzen's theory of planned behavior (TPB) in the context of automobile child restraint device use to identify determinants of that behavior. A second objective was to test two specific hypotheses regarding the predictive role of perceived behavioral control: (a) Its inclusion should increase the proportion of variance already explained in intention by the attitudinal and normative components included in the theory of reasoned action; and (b) given the behavior under study, a model in which perception of behavioral control's influence on behavior is entirely mediated by intention, should fit the data. Subjects (N= 590) were parents driving with their 3- to 5-year-old children intercepted while entering or leaving parking lots of different public settings. The behavior of interest, child restraint device use, was rated by two independent observers. A self-report questionnaire assessing all constructs of Ajzen's model was given to the parent, who was instructed to return it by mail. Data were analyzed using LISREL VII. Results showed that perceived behavioral control and, to a lesser extent, attitude, emerged as the main determinants of behavioral intention which was itself predictive of child restraint device use. In addition, both hypotheses regarding the relation between perceived behavioral control on the one hand and intention and behavior, on the other, were supported. Discussion centered first on the mechanism through which perceived behavioral control exerts its influence, and second on the implications of the present results for the theory of reasoned action as well as for the theory of planned behavior.     

Role of time in self-prediction of behavior

This paper examines three specific manifestations of time—anticipation (proximal vs. distal), prior experience with the behavior, and frequency (episodic vs. repeat)—as key contingencies affecting the predictive validity of behavioral intention, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral expectation in predicting behavior. These three temporal contingencies are examined in two longitudinal field studies: (1) study 1—a 6-month study of personal computer (PC) purchase behavior among 861 households and (2) study 2—a 12-month study among 321 employees in the context of a new technology implementation in an organization. In study 1, where the episodic behavior of PC purchase was examined, we found that increasing anticipation (i.e., more distal) weakened the relationship between behavioral intention and behavior and strengthened the relationship between behavioral expectation and behavior. In contrast, increasing experience strengthened the relationship between behavioral intention and behavior and weakened the relationship between behavioral expectation and behavior. In study 2, where the repeat behavior of technology use was examined, we found two significant 3-way interactions: (1) the relationship between behavioral intention and behavior was strongest when anticipation was low (i.e., proximal) and experience was high and (2) the relationship between behavioral expectation and behavior was strongest when anticipation was high (i.e., distal) and experience was low.     

Antecedents of Taiwanese adolescents' purchase intention toward the merchandise of a celebrity: the moderating effect of celebrity adoration

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relative importance of adolescents' attitude toward an act (the degree to which the person had a favorable or unfavorable evaluation or appraisal of the act's behavior in question), perceived norm, and perceived behavioral control in predicting Taiwanese adolescents' intention to purchase the merchandise of a celebrity when they had different levels of celebrity adoration. The present results showed that the relative strengths of attitude toward the act and the perception of behavioral control in predicting purchase intention toward the merchandise of a celebrity were stronger for adolescents in the celebrity adoration group than for adolescents in the celebrity nonadoration group. On the other hand, the relative importance of the perceived norm in predicting the attitude toward the act and the purchase intention was stronger for adolescents in the celebrity nonadoration group than for adolescents in the celebrity adoration group.     

Predicting e-bike users’ intention to run the red light: An application and extension of the theory of planned behavior

Electric bike (e-bike) users in China have a high red light running (RLR) rate, contributing to a large number of accidents. This paper aims to examine the psychological motivation of e-bike users’ RLR intentions. A survey questionnaire was designed employing the construct of theory of planned behavior (TPB). The survey was performed in Chengdu, China in November 2016. We found that users older than 40 identify themselves as more cautious riders. Younger riders have higher intention to run the red light. E-bike users with car drivers’ licenses regard running the red light as a more difficult task to perform, and regard this behavior as more morally wrong. Hierarchical regression was used to analyze the data. The results showed that demographic variables (age, marriage status, and college degree), TPB variables (attitude and perceived behavioral control) and extended variables (moral norm and self-identity) are significant predictors for the intention of RLR behavior. The results could provide reference for designing more effective interventions and safety education programs for reducing e-bike users’ RLR rate.     

The influence of an online auction's product price and e-retailer reputation on consumers' perception, attitude, and behavioral intention

Online auctions combine the conventional auction model with information technology. However, information asymmetry within such auctions causes risks and uncertainties that influence consumer purchase intentions. In this study, a 2 (product price: high vs. low) × 2 (e-retailer reputation: high vs. low) experimental design was used to understand whether the product price and e-retailer reputation will influence consumers' perceived risk, attitude toward the website and purchase intention. The results of this study indicate that perceived risk negatively influences consumer attitude toward the website and online purchase intention, while consumer attitude toward the website positively influences purchase intention. Moreover, involvement moderates the influence of product price and e-retailer reputation only on social risk but does not have a significant effect on consumer attitude toward the website. This study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of online auction users' behavior. Finally, the managerial implications, limitations and future research directions are also provided.     

Young driving learners’ intention to use a handheld or hands-free mobile phone when driving

This paper presents a survey investigating young driving learners’ intention to use a handheld or hands-free mobile phone when driving. A sample of 164 young driving learners completed a questionnaire based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), which measured people’s intentions to use mobile phone while driving in handheld condition or hands-free condition, along with their attitudes towards the behavior, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control. The regression analysis models revealed that the TPB was able to explain 43% and 48% variance in hands-free mobile phone use intention and handheld mobile phone use intention, respectively, with perceived behavioral control emerging as the strongest predictor. In addition, TPB components, usage frequency and perceived risk were more dependent on gender than age. These results have several theoretical and practical implications. In particular, interventions should emphasize on the risk of hands-free mobile phone use when driving for young drivers, especially for young male drivers.     

Making the planet green again: The interplay of attitudes and group norms in the conversion to organic farming

Attitudes and social norms are key social psychological concepts that have often been considered as independent determinants of human behavior. However, questions about the interplay between the two are somewhat of a blind spot in social psychology. In the present research, we test the hypothesis that when an important change in norms is involved, behavioral intentions will be shaped by a discrepancy between personal attitudes and the perceived group norm, that is the perception of other group members’ attitudes. This proposition is tested and supported across three studies in a context of the conversion to organic farming, a behavior indicative of a significant societal and behavioral change. Farmers who did convert to organic farming were those who perceive other farmers to hold less positive attitudes toward this environmentally-friendly practice compared to their own (Study 1a & 1b, N = 1,023). Among conventional farmers, the intention to convert to organic farming is also predicted by a discrepancy between personal attitudes and the perceived group norm (Study 1b). Finally, among agricultural colleges’ students (Study 2, N = 280), the intention to become an organic farmer was influenced by an interaction between attitudes and perceived group norm and not only by independent effects of these two variables. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings for a better understanding of behavioral adaptation in times of social change are discussed.     

Drivers' compliance with speed limits: an application of the theory of planned behavior

The theory of planned behavior (TPB; I. Ajzen, 1985) was applied to drivers' compliance with speed limits. Questionnaire data were collected for 598 drivers at 2 time points separated by 3 months. TPB variables, demographic information, and self-reported prior behavior were measured at Time 1, and self-reported subsequent behavior was measured at Time 2. In line with the TPB, attitude, subjective norm, and perceived control were positively associated with behavioral intention, and intention and perceived control were positively associated with subsequent behavior. TPB variables mediated the effects of age and gender on behavior. Prior behavior was found to moderate the perceived control-intention and perceived control-subsequent behavior relationships. Practical implications of the findings for road safety and possible avenues for further research are discussed.     

Attitude,perceived behavioral control,and intention to adopt risky behaviors

The theory of planned behavior (TPB, Ajzen, 1985) has proved its efficiency in predicting different behaviors among road users (Sheeran & Orbell, 2000). The present study examined the TPB factors explaining risk taking among vulnerable road users (e.g., cyclists). We presumed that attitude, social norms, and perceived behavioral control (PBC) would predict cyclists’ intention to adopt a risky behavior in two traffic contexts considered as risk-conducive (i.e., run the red-light, turn left).Participants (N = 224, M_age = 23.34) filled in an online scenario-based questionnaire describing two traffic situations conducive to risk taking and including measures for cyclists’ intentions to adopt risky behaviors in these specific contexts, TPB factors, and self-perceived efficacy.TPB factors explained 49% and 65% of the variance in the intention to cross the red light, respectively the intention to turn left, with positive attitude and high PBC as the best predictors. Implications of the results were discussed.