The effects of psychological capital on citizens’ willingness to participate in food safety social co-governance in China

Abstract

Psychological capital (PsyCap) motivates citizens to actively participate in social affairs. This study aims to promote the application of the PsyCap theory in the field of public affairs and help promote the establishment of a food safety social co-governance system in practice. Based on a questionnaire survey of 752 urban citizens in Wuxi, China, this study used latent profile analysis (LPA) to classify citizens into three different latent groups from the perspective of PsyCap and its four-dimensional composition. The influence of PsyCap and its various dimensions on the willingness of citizens in different groups to participate in food safety social co-governance was assessed and compared using usefulness analysis. Results showed that citizens showed obvious differences in their PsyCap, which can be divided into low, medium, and high levels. All dimensions of PsyCap had an impact on willingness to participate, but the impact differed among groups. The overall PsyCap level had a greater impact on citizens’ willingness to participate than any single dimension. In the future construction of a food safety social co-governance system, different guidance and intervention strategies should be implemented based on the differences in PsyCap among different groups.