Recycling as a planned behavior: the moderating role of perceived behavioral control

This study examines the effectiveness of a public service announcement (PSA) video designed based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in motivating people to engage in proper recycling. Based on a representative sample of New York State residents (N = 707), survey results show that all three TPB variables are significant predictors of recycling intention. The PSA video increases recycling intention through attitude, but this mediated relationship is only significant among individuals with low perceived behavioral control. In terms of practical implication, these results suggest that environmental campaigns using a video format may be particularly effective among audiences who perceive low self-efficacy in recycling. Theoretically, this moderated mediation effect suggests that future research based on the theory of planned behavior should not only examine the main effect of each predicting variable, but also assess the role of perceived behavior control as a moderating factor.