Factors affecting the consumption intention of game meats: Integrating theory of planned behavior and norm activation model

Abstract

Consuming game meats directly influences human health and environmental conservation, yet research integrating theoretical perspectives remains scarce. The study aims to uncover and assess the factors shaping intentions towards game meat consumption, introducing an integrated theoretical framework that combines the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Norm Activation Model (NAM). The study collected 913 genuine responses via a self-administered questionnaire in China. Analysis was conducted using SPSS 22.0 and AMOS 26, leveraging Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to investigate both direct and indirect relationships among variables of TPB and NAM. The findings highlight that perceived behavioral control plays the most critical role in explaining the intention to consume game meats, followed by attitude and subjective norm. Notably, perceived risk serves as a mediating factor between attitude and the intention to consume game meats. Simultaneously, the ascription of responsibility plays a mediating role within the NAM, intervening in the connection between awareness of consequences and personal norms. The results underscore the effectiveness of TPB and NAM in predicting individuals' intentions to consume game meats, particularly highlighting the critical role of perceived risk in this context.