Normative Beliefs Research Articles

Integrating the value–belief–norm model and the theory of planned behavior for explaining consumers’ purchase intention of suboptimal food

PurposeMany studies have demonstrated that consumers tend to reject “suboptimal foods” (SF), despite the foods being suitable for human consumption. This study integrated the value–belief–norm (VBN) model and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to analyze Taiwanese consumers’ purchase intention of SF and the factors that influence it, including values, beliefs, personal norms, attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The integrated model also considered the influences of consumers’ “motivations to reduce food waste” and “situational factors.”Design/methodology/approachWe surveyed 308 Taiwanese consumers by using an online Google Forms questionnaire. Structural equation modeling was performed to investigate the proposed integrated model.FindingsThe empirical results indicated that the integrated VBN and TPB model had high exploratory power for explaining consumers’ purchase intention of SF. Additionally, it revealed consumers’ personal norms and their motivations to reduce food waste to determine their attitude toward purchasing SF.Originality/valueIn addition to establishing an integrated VBN and TPB model, this study considered other factors that may influence consumers’ attitude toward purchasing SF. Our findings contribute to the understanding of Taiwanese consumers’ attitude toward and purchase intention of SF and identify relevant influencing factors. Our findings can be applied to foster appreciation among consumers toward SF and persuade them to purchase SF.

The weight of truth

Belief is said to be subject to a norm of truth. A norm, intuitively, tells us what we ought to or may do. What sort of claim can truth make on us? On one standard view, the truth norm of belief is obliging. One ought to believe the truth and truth only. On another view, the truth norm of belief is permissive. One may believe the truth and truth only. Recently, it has been argued that the truth norm plays no interesting role in our normative theorizing for it issues excessive, unsatisfiable claims. This paper defends the truth norm of belief and proposes a novel answer to the question concerning its normative force on a reason-based framework. I argue that the normative force of the truth norm depends on the weight of truth as a normative reason for belief, which, just like that of any other normative reason, may vary across different contexts. I develop the idea that the weight of truth as a reason for belief is conditioned by what an epistemic agent can or cannot believe and modified by epistemic risk, among other things.

The effect of environmental values, beliefs, and norms on social entrepreneurial intentions among Chinese university students

This study explores the factors influencing university students’ social entrepreneurial intentions based on the values-beliefs-norms theory. Data were collected from 769 Chinese university students through online surveys. The hypotheses were tested using partial least squares-structural equation modeling. The results confirmed the positive influence of altruistic and traditional values on normative beliefs. Awareness of the consequences and attribution of responsibility had no significant effect on personal norms among university students, which have been discussed in-depth in relation to the phenomenon of inadequate student socialization due to closed-loop management policies at Chinese universities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, the findings verified the positive and significant effects of personal, injunctive, and descriptive social norms on social entrepreneurship intentions. With the aim of promoting social entrepreneurship among university students and broadening the understanding of the phenomenon of social entrepreneurs, this study provides a favorable direction and expands the discussion on the topic. The results will help the government and universities foster more effective prosocial behaviors among university students.

Examining the Role of Sports Betting Marketing in Youth Problem Gambling.

Sports betting is becoming increasingly common among young people in the UK and Australia. There is a need to understand how the marketing of sports betting may influence risky and pathological gambling to inform policies aimed at reducing harm. This study examines whether sports betting advertising may predict problem gambling scores among young people, while accounting for non-marketing variables. We recruited 567 participants (53.1% male) aged 18-24 years from an online research panel. Participants were eligible if they had an active betting account and regularly bet on sports. We conducted a hierarchical regression analysis to examine whether four marketing-related measures (exposure to advertising, ad-driven betting decisions, use of betting inducements, and perceived susceptibility to betting inducements) could predict PGSI scores. We controlled for several demographic, psychological, and behavioural variables, including gender, gambling participation, spend per session, participation in in-play betting, normative beliefs about sports betting, and impulsivity. The study revealed that sports betting marketing was positively associated with PGSI scores after controlling for non-marketing variables. Significant marketing predictors included ad-driven betting decisions and perceived influence from betting inducements. Other significant predictors included participation in non-sports betting gambling activities, spend per session, involvement in in-play betting, and the impulsivity trait of negative urgency. Sports betting marketing appears to be implicated in young people's gambling problems. Specifically, young people who have gambling problems may be more likely to bet in response to advertising, and betting incentives may contribute to an intensification of their gambling behaviour. This study supports the implementation of regulations and restrictions on advertising as a measure to protect young problem gamblers.

Study on the Strength of Rural Tourism Operators’ Willingness to Carbon Offset and Its Influencing Mechanisms

Tourism operators generate carbon emissions during their operations, and their environmental responsibility behaviors, such as carbon offsetting, significantly impact the ecological environment of tourist sites. Understanding the operators’ willingness to engage in carbon offsetting and the factors influencing this willingness is crucial for achieving the “dual carbon” goals and promoting sustainable growth in China’s tourism sector. This study collected 746 offline questionnaires from operators at rural tourism sites across 100 counties and districts in Jiangxi Province. It empirically analyzed their willingness to participate in carbon offsetting, comparing various factors such as the strength of willingness, spatial differences, and distinctions between all-for-one tourism counties and non-all-for-one tourism counties, as well as suburban, outer suburban, and remote tourism sites. Using the value–belief–norm theory and the theory of planned behavior, a structural equation model was developed to comprehensively examine the operators’ willingness and its influencing mechanisms. The structural statistical analysis revealed that the integrated model effectively predicted rural tourism operators’ willingness to participate in carbon offsetting. The results showed that, except for Hypothesis 6, all suggested correlations between the variables were significant. Value perception had a significantly positive effect on participants’ desire to engage in carbon offsetting. This research provides various theoretical and practical implications for local authorities regarding rural tourism operators, advancing the incentive for carbon offsetting and sustainable tourism development.

Relaxed realism and normative belief: A functionalist account

Abstract I offer an account of normative belief designed specifically for relaxed realists. This proposal not only gives relaxed realists an explicitly robust account of normative belief but also distinguishes their theory from related theories, notably quasi-realist ones. In doing so, it addresses a dilemma raised in the literature against relaxed realist theories.

Health system reform and path-dependency: how ideas constrained change in South Africa’s national health insurance policy process

Path-dependency theory says that complex systems, such as health systems, are shaped by prior conditions and decisions, and are resistant to change. As a result, major policy changes, such as health system reform, are often only possible in policy windows—moments of transition or contextual crisis that re-balance social power dynamics and enable the consideration of new policy ideas. However, even in policy windows there can be resistance to change. In this paper, we consider the role of ideas in constraining change. We draw on political science theory on the dynamic relationship between foreground ideas (policy programmes and frames) and background ideas (deeply held collective cognitive and normative beliefs) to better understand how ideas exert influence independently of the contextual conditions that give rise to them or the actors that espouse them. To do so, we examine two apparent policy windows in the South African National Health Insurance policy process. The analysis reveals how ideas can become institutionalised in organisations and procedures (such as policy instruments or provider networks), and in intangible cultural norms—becoming hegemonic and uncontested ideas that shape the attitudes and perspectives of policy actors. In this way, ideas operate as independent variables, constraining change across policy windows. While health policy analysts increasingly recognise the influence of ideational variables in policy processes, they tend to conceptualise ideas as tools actors wield to drive change. This analysis reveals the importance of considering ideas (values, norms, and beliefs) as persistent features of the policy-making context that constrain actors.

Beliefs About and Motivation for Chinese EFL Learners’ English Language Learning: A Study Drawing on the Theory of Planned Behaviour

It is widely seen that research in the mainstream of education drew upon the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to examine learners’ beliefs about and intentions/motivations to learn a second or foreign language. However, such research in a Global Englishes (GE) context is scant. This study employed an adapted TPB model to explore the beliefs held by English language learners in China concerning GE and English language learning, and to anticipate the relationships between learners’ beliefs and their L2 (second language) motivation. The data was collected using questionnaires with 460 (N = 460) students at a university in China. Exploratory factor analysis and multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis. The results showed that the students’ beliefs formed five dimensions, namely, attitudes toward native English, attitudes toward China English, attitudes toward non-native English, subjective norm and self-efficacy. Two dimensions: attitudes toward native English and subjective norm were found to occupy a prominent place in students’ beliefs. As for their L2 motivation, three dimensions were identified, namely, integrative orientation, instrumental orientation and international posture. The results of regression analysis showed that learners’ L2 motivation were significantly shaped by some of their beliefs. Particularly, learners’ attitudes toward native English had a significant relationship with every dimension of their L2 motivation. And their normative beliefs (subjective norm) were found to have the most significant influence on their L2 motivation, indicating that the social pressure perceived by Chinese students played an important role in their L2 learning. The employment of Ajzen’s TPB model empirically supported to the validity of the theoretical model in examining learners’ beliefs and motivation.

What drives responsible consumption in collectivistic developing countries? An analysis of Vietnamese consumers' motivations with value–belief–norm theory

AbstractThis study explores the motivations driving responsible consumption in Vietnam, a collectivistic and populous Asian developing country. Specifically, on the basis of value‐belief‐norm (VBN) theory, it focuses on the direct effects of personal values (biospheric, altruistic, and egoistic values) on green product purchase intent. The empirical collectivistic cultural context of Vietnam was utilized, with data collected from 806 consumers across 35 cities. The study reveals that biospheric values predominantly drive purchase intent for green products; however, the magnitude of egoistic values, particularly health concerns, varies significantly across product categories. Regarding altruistic values, they do not appear to be salient among Vietnamese consumers. Additionally, the environmental motive can act as a mediator between health motive and purchase intent. This indirect effect is particularly strong in the case of organic food. Based on these findings, the authors derive managerial and academic implications.

Predicting Food Waste Avoidance: Analysis of an Extended Model of the Theory of Planned Behavior and of Relevant Beliefs

ABSTRACT This research adopted the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to predict intention and behavior to avoid food waste. In a pilot study, behavioral, normative, and control beliefs were identified. In the main study, a TPB model extended with descriptive and moral norms was assessed using a two-wave design and applying SEM. The associations between beliefs and TPB constructs were analyzed by MIMIC models. Attitude, descriptive and moral norms, and perceived behavioral control were associated with intention to avoid food waste, which predicted behavior. Considering the most important beliefs in forming intentions has important implications for designing food waste prevention interventions.

The Association Between the We Can Do This Campaign and Vaccination Beliefs in the United States, January 2021–March 2022

Public health campaigns addressing COVID-19 vaccination beliefs may be effective in changing COVID-19 vaccination behaviors, particularly among people who remain vaccine hesitant. The “We Can Do This” COVID-19 public education campaign (the Campaign) was designed to increase COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake. This study aims to evaluate whether Campaign dose was associated with changes in vaccination beliefs related to COVID-19 vaccine concerns and perceived risks, the importance of COVID-19 vaccines, the perceived benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, normative beliefs about COVID-19 vaccination, and perceptions about general vaccine safety and effectiveness. The study linked data from four waves of a nationally representative longitudinal panel of U.S. adults (January 2021–March 2022) with Campaign paid digital media data (April 2021–May 2022). We used mixed-effects linear regressions to examine the association between Campaign paid digital impressions and changes in vaccination beliefs. The results provide evidence that Campaign digital impressions were significantly associated with changes in respondent beliefs regarding COVID-19 vaccine concerns and perceived risks, perceived benefits of COVID-19 vaccination, and perceptions about general vaccine safety and effectiveness. Findings suggest that public education campaigns may influence vaccine confidence and uptake by increasing positive vaccination beliefs and reducing vaccine concerns.

How Does Environmental Education Moderate Local People’s Commitment to the Environment and Intention to Support Tourism Development?

This research has been conducted to determine the environmental commitment of local people and its effect on the intention to support sustainable tourism development based on the Value–Belief–Norm Theory. In addition to related studies in the literature, the present study also examined the moderating role of environmental education. The study data were obtained from local people living in Manavgat, Antalya, one of the most notable tourism destinations in Turkey. Prior to testing the hypothetical research model through the structural model, the data were examined for outlier calculations, normality distributions, and potential multicollinearity issues. As a consequence of obtaining satisfactory findings, the structural model was tested using the AMOS program. Moreover, the Process macro (model 1) was preferred to measure the moderator effect. The results of this research demonstrate the consistency of the Value–Belief–Norm Theory and show that residents’ personal norms influence their environmental commitment and intention to support sustainable tourism development. Furthermore, the findings of this study revealed the moderating role of environmental education in these relationships. Several theoretical and practical implications have been identified for destination management organizations, industry managers, policy-makers, and academics working in the field.

Past behaviour intentions, present normative beliefs, and future customer loyalty

AbstractTourists are often motivated by a desire to reduce their impact on the environment and support local communities. By understanding the motivations and preferences of different types of tourists, destinations can tailor their offerings to attract and retain a diverse range of visitors. This study aims to determine if tourists who are attracted to the natural environment in a destination are more likely to engage in sustainable behaviors. It also explores whether easy access to information on sustainability influences decision‐making when traveling. The article raises the question of whether post‐pandemic tourists seek sustainable destinations due to both internal motivations and external influences. This article examines the convergence of pull‐push tourist motivations in sustainable destination preferences post‐pandemic. Using data from 12,101 Eurobarometer 2021 respondents from the TOP 12 countries with high pro‐environmental attitudes, the study found a confirmation of sustainable behaviors among European citizens. Future research directions and limitations are discussed.

Predictors of Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Adolescence: A Scoping Review

Today’s adolescents will inevitably face the negative effects of climate change and will need to engage in pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) as part of the solutions. The primary objective of this scoping review was to identify the individual, peer and family, and school and community predictors of PEB in adolescence. The secondary objectives were to highlight the main types of PEBs, the main conceptual frameworks examined in adolescence, and the main research gaps mentioned in prior studies. A bibliographic search on multiple databases was conducted. Among the 2578 records identified, 209 were retrieved and assessed for eligibility, and 62 met the inclusion criteria (i.e., peer-reviewed primary research articles published in English in the last ten years with adolescent data). Results reveal a heterogeneous set of correlates with an imbalance favoring individual correlates. The most frequent PEBs in the reviewed studies were linked to energy and water conservation. The most frequent theoretical frameworks were the Theory of Planned Behavior and the Value–Belief–Norm Theory, while the most frequently highlighted research gap was the use of cross-sectional designs. These results can inform the targets of interventions aimed at increasing PEBs, which are fundamental aspects of the psychology of sustainability and sustainable development.

How ingroup norms of multiculturalism (and tolerance) affect intergroup solidarity: The role of ideology.

Multiculturalism and tolerance, as two sets of normative beliefs about how to deal with intergroup diversity, have been recognized as effective at reducing outgroup negativity among majority group members. However, whether majority group members' normative beliefs regarding them might motivate their solidarity-based collective actions and how their political ideology might qualify this influence remained unclear. To answer these questions, we conducted two pre-registered experimental studies (N = 626), both zooming in on the multiculturalism issues in the context of the relationships between native Dutch citizens and citizens with a Moroccan background within Dutch university campuses (Study 1) and broader Dutch society (Study 2). In both studies, we found an ingroup norm of tolerance (vs. control) undermined majority group members' engagement in collective actions in support of ethnic minorities. Additionally, ideological leftists were more sensitive to norms than rightists: Study 1 showed a facilitative effect of the multiculturalism norm (vs. control) on solidarity-based collective action intentions particularly among leftists, whilst Study 2 revealed a dampening effect of the tolerance norm (vs. control) on these intentions particularly among leftists.

Husband's intention to support during pregnancy for the use of maternity waiting home in Jimma Zone, Southwest, Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study.

Husbands are the primary decision-makers about the place of childbirth. Lack of husbands' support for maternal health care is associated with low maternal waiting home utilization and less is known about the husbands' intention to support their wife's use of maternal waiting homes (MWHs) and underlying beliefs in Ethiopia. This community-based cross-sectional survey aimed to study husbands' intention to support during pregnancy through the use of maternity waiting homes in Jimma Zone, Southwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 396 randomly selected husbands whose wives were pregnant. Interviewer-administered, a structured questionnaire developed based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used to collect the data. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between behavioral intention and constructs of the theory of planned behavior. Of the 396 husbands who took part in the study, 42.7% intend to support their partner's use of a maternity waiting home. Intention to support a wife to use a maternity waiting home was associated with subjective norm [AOR = 1.303, 95% CI (1.054, 1.611)] and perceived behavioral control [AOR = 1.446, 95% CI (1.234, 1.695)]. Among the control beliefs, "having childcare"; "having a person who stays with a wife at a maternity waiting home"; and "availability of quality service provided to a wife in the maternity waiting home" significantly separated intenders and non-intenders. The findings suggest that husbands who perceived more social pressure and felt in control of barriers were more likely to intend to support their partner in using a maternity waiting home. Intervention should focus on underlying normative and control beliefs to improve the husband's intention.

Feasibility and acceptability of a theory-based online tool for reducing stress-induced eating

Stress-induced eating is associated with various health risks like obesity and cardiovascular disease, exacerbated by the overconsumption of unhealthy foods. This study sought to investigate replacement coping strategies for stress-induced eating that participants can seek to implement using behaviour change techniques like implementation intentions. The study adopted a feasibility and acceptability design, with 258 participants (88.37% female) aged 17–75 years old who self-reported stress-induced eating. Participants were asked to identify cues for their stress-induced eating and evaluate the acceptability of eight potential replacement coping strategies. After selecting their preferred strategy, participants formed implementation intentions, linking the strategy with their previously identified cues. There were six themes of cues for stress-induced eating as identified by participants, including a range of external and internal stressors. Themes regarding the acceptability of the replacement coping strategies were organised based on constructs from integrated social cognition theories. Participant responses reflected cognitive and affective attitudes, and control and normative beliefs behind engagement in coping behaviour; further, automatic and volitional processes were described by participants as playing a role in whether a coping strategy was deemed as useful. Plans formulated by participants commonly detailed specific situations and strategies to utilise, though few described start times or durations of their plan. Action planning was found to significantly increase following formation of implementation intentions, and participants’ descriptions supported the feasibility and acceptability of utilising implementation intentions to adopt alternative coping strategies to stress-induced eating. Future research should conduct a randomised controlled trial to assess the efficacy of the implementation intentions intervention in promoting uptake of replacement coping strategies to reduce stress-induced eating.

Men’s Satisfaction with General Health Services is Associated with Future Use of HIV Testing in Malawi: A Community-Representative Survey

Across sub-Saharan Africa, men are less likely to know their HIV status than women, leading to later treatment initiation. Little is known about how experiences with general health services affect men’s use of HIV testing. We used data from a 2019 community-representative survey of men in Malawi to understand frequency and cause of men’s negative health service experiences (defined as men reporting they “would not recommend” a facility) and their association with future HIV testing. We conducted univariable and multivariable logistic regressions to determine which aspects of health facility visits were associated with would-not-recommend experiences and to determine if would-not-recommend experiences 12–24 months prior to the survey were associated with HIV testing in the 12 months prior to the survey. Among 1,098 men eligible for HIV testing in the 12 months prior to the survey, median age was 34 years; 9% of men reported at least one would-not-recommend experience, which did not differ by sociodemographics, gender norm beliefs, or HIV stigma beliefs. The factors most strongly associated with would-not-recommend experiences were cost (aOR 5.8, 95%CI 2.9–11.4), cleanliness (aOR 4.2, 95%CI 1.8–9.9), medicine availability (aOR 3.3, 95%CI 1.7–6.4), and wait times (aOR 2.7, 95%CI 1.5-5.0). Reporting a would-not-recommend experience 12–24 months ago was associated with a 59% decrease in likelihood of testing for HIV in the last 12 months (aOR 0.41; 95% CI:0.17–0.96). Dissatisfaction with general health services was strongly associated with reduced HIV testing. Coverage of high-priority screening services like HIV testing may benefit from improving overall health system quality.

Effect of violence exposure on aggressive intervention in Chinese college students: A moderated mediation model

The present study was mainly based on the General Aggression Model and combined it with the Bystander Intervention Model to explore the mechanism of aggressive intervention. A total of 1018 college students (mean age 19.59 years) from five universities in China were recruited, who completed a series of questionnaires, mainly concluding violence environment exposure questionnaire, the normative beliefs about aggression scale, subscale of the aggressive intervention, trait anxiety scale and number of bystanders. The results showed that after controlling for social desirability and gender, violence exposure positively predicted aggressive intervention, and normative beliefs about aggression partially mediated between the two variables. The three-way interaction of normative beliefs about aggression, anxiety, and the number of bystanders negatively predicted aggressive intervention. Moreover, anxiety moderated the mediating effect. Specifically, when the level of anxiety was higher, the mediating effect was larger. The number of bystanders played as a secondary moderator. The moderating effect of anxiety decreased as the number of bystanders increased. The results suggest that the General Aggression Model remains a theoretical model for explaining aggressive intervention, and the combination of anxiety and the number of bystanders influences the process of GAM.

A Qualitative Analysis of South African Pre-service Life Sciences Teachers’ Behavioral Intentions for Integrating AI in Teaching

AbstractThis paper explores pre-service life sciences teachers’ behavioral intentions toward integrating artificial intelligence into life sciences teaching. Despite the growing influence of AI in education, there is limited understanding of the factors affecting teachers’ willingness to integrate AI into life sciences teaching. These factors could inform policy-making and educational practice for AI adoption in the life sciences teaching. The current research aimed to identify key determinants influencing teachers’ behavioral intentions to adopt AI in life sciences teaching. The research followed a qualitative approach involving semi-structured interviews with 10 purposively selected pre-service life sciences teachers in South Africa. Thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data. The findings reveal that behavioral intentions are shaped by multiple factors within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior. Attitudes toward AI integration in life sciences education included themes such as pedagogical benefits, practical limitations, and philosophical concerns. Behavioral beliefs encompassed the advantages and disadvantages of AI adoption. Subjective norms highlighted inter-generational differences, administrative issues, stakeholder roles, and resource constraints. Normative beliefs included organizational authority, peer influence, parental concerns, and policy funding. The findings have important implications for policy and practice, highlighting the need for targeted training and resource allocation for effective AI integration in life sciences education.