Determinants of Consumers’ Purchasing Behavior for Certified Aquaculture Products in South Korea

This study aims to investigate consumers’ decision-making process for purchasing certified aquaculture products using the theory of the planned behavior (TPB) model. Based on the TPB model, this study empirically examines the relationship among TPB constructs, namely; attitude, social norm, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention to purchase sustainably produced products (i.e., Aquaculture Stewardship Council-certified products). Data from a web-based survey conducted through an online survey company (960 usable response samples) are analyzed using structural equation modeling. The results indicate that all latent variables (i.e., attitude, social norm, and perceived behavioral control) positively affect consumers’ behavioral intention. More importantly, environmental awareness moderates the relationships between TPB constructs and behavioral intention. In the case of the high awareness group in this study, attitude influences behavioral intention more than social norm does. On the contrary, in the case of the low awareness group, social norm influences behavioral intention more than attitude does.