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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Environ. Sci.
Sec. Environmental Policy and Governance
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2024.1432614

A study of the driving factors of rural residents' intention and behavioral deviations in waste classification

Provisionally accepted
JIe Zhang JIe Zhang 1Qidong Yu Qidong Yu 2*Qian Chen Qian Chen 1*
  • 1 Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China
  • 2 Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The deviation between the stated intentions and actual actions of rural residents about waste classification represents a significant obstacle to the effective implementation of environmental management strategies in rural areas. To enhance the governance of rural settlement environments and provide support for rural revitalization. This study establishes an analytical framework for examining the deviation between internal perceived efficacy and external environmental policies among rural residents. The relationship between intention and behavior can be classified into three distinct scenarios: The three scenarios are as follows: "intention with behavior," "intention without behavior," and "no intention with behavior." Furthermore, an empirical analysis is conducted using survey data collected by Nanjing Agricultural University in the China Land Economic Survey (CLES) in June and July 2021. The results show that: (1) the perceived efficacy has a significant positive influence on the deviation between rural residents' intention and behavior in domestic waste classification, while the environmental policy has a significant negative effect on it; (2) the guiding policy has a significant negative moderating effect on the influence of perceived efficacy on the deviation between rural residents' intention and behavior and the situation "with intention and without behavior", while the reward-punishment policy has a significant positive moderating effect on the influence of perceived efficacy on "without intention and behavior"; (3) the perceived efficacy has a masking effect on the impact of environmental policy on the deviation between rural residents' intention and behavior or "with intention and without behavior", and a partial mediating effect on the impact of environmental policy on "with intention and behavior" or "without intention and behavior". In light of these findings, the study puts forth policy recommendations that underscore the interconnectivity of government, village collective organizations, and rural residents. These recommendations encompass the implementation of environmental policies and initiatives aimed at enhancing rural residents' awareness of waste classification.

    Keywords: waste classification1, intention and behavior2, deviation3, perceived efficacy4, Environmental Policy5

    Received: 14 May 2024; Accepted: 17 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhang, Yu and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Qidong Yu, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, 350108, Fujian Province, China
    Qian Chen, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.