Analysis of Moral Norms in The Theory of Planned Behavior to Predict the Behavior of Rural Households in the Protection of Zagros Forests (Case study: Chegni dore county)

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

• Hamed Izadi ¹
• Ameneh savari Mombeni ²
• Moslem Savari ²

¹ Khuzestan Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources University

² Khuzestan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources

10.22067/geoeh.2022.73958.1138

Abstract

The main purpose of this applied research is to analyze the moral norms in the theory of planned behavior to predict the behavior of rural households in the protection of Zagros forests. The information required for the research was collected by survey method and a questionnaire. The collected data were analyzed by SPSS and Amos software using structural equation modeling approach. The statistical population of this study consisted of rural households in four villages of Chegni dore (N = 1399) that based on Krejcie and Morgan table, the sample size of 300 households was selected. The sample subjects were studied using stratified sampling method with proportional assignment. Findings showed that the behavior variable has a positive and significant relationship with the variables of attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, moral norm and intention. The results obtained from the model of structural equations of path analysis also showed that the variables of moral norm, intention and behavioral control perceived have a positive, direct and significant effect and the variables of moral norm, attitude and behavioral control have an indirect and significant effect on Behavior variables. Finally, the theory of planned behavior mediated by the moral norm variable can predict 52% and 38% of the changes in the variables of intention and behavior of rural households towards forest protection, respectively. The results of this study showed that the constructs of the theory of planned behavior such as attitudes, moral norms and perceived behavioral control are good predictors of Zagros forest protection behaviors in the study area. These findings may also be useful to executives, because instead of trying to change behavior, they can focus first on conceptual and persuasive changes, such as changing attitudes toward forest protection.

Keywords

• Zagros forests
• Chegni dore county
• rural households
• moral norm

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