The purpose of this study is to discuss and test the direct and moderating effects of attitudes, social norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), past behavior, and habit strength in explaining Vietnamese consumers’ intention to consume fish. | 102 Ho Huy Tuu / Journal of Economic Development 22 (3) 102-122 Attitude, Social Norms, Perceived Behavioral Control, Past Behavior, and Habit in Explaining Intention to Consume Fish in Vietnam HO HUY TUU Nha Trang University – tuu_hohuy@ ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Article history: The purpose of this study is to discuss and test the direct and moderating effects of attitudes, social norms, perceived behavioral control (PBC), past behavior, and habit strength in explaining Vietnamese consumers’ intention to consume fish. In addition to a data set of 466 consumers in a coastal province in Central Vietnam and structural equation modelling, a model development strategy with six nested models is used to test hypotheses. Results indicate that attitude, social norms, and PBC have a positive effect on intention. Both past behavior and habit strength have a significantly positive influence on intention and considerably increase the explained variance of intention. In particular, the results also indicate that habit strength, past behavior, and social norms negatively moderate the impact of attitudes on intention. All of these findings emphasize the importance of past behavior and habit strength as well as interactions within the theory of planned behavior in explaining intention to consume fish in Vietnam. Received: Apr. 4. 2014 Received in revised form: Apr. 28. 2015 Accepted: Jun. 28. 2015 Keywords: Fish, habit strength, past behavior, moderating effects. Ho Huy Tuu / Journal of Economic Development 22 (3) 102-122 103 1. Introduction Fish is the most common food in Vietnam, and having meals at home is the traditional characteristics of the families. Regardless of the increasing attraction of this market with the population of approximately ninety millions, very few studies we know explain motivations and behaviors toward eating fish (Cong et al., 2012; Tuu et al., 2008). This study seeks additional .
