Assessing Influence Mechanism of Green Utilization of Agricultural Wastes in Five Provinces of China through Farmers’ Motivation-Cognition-Behavior

Using the theory of motivation, and the theory of planned behavior, this study establishes the “motivation-cognition-behavior” model of green utilization of agricultural waste from the perspective of farmers. In the motivational dimension, eight motivational factors were determined in three sub-dimensions of extrinsic motivation. In the cognitive dimension, three sub-dimensions of subjective norms, behavioral attitude, and perceived behavioral control are also determined. In the behavioral dimension, two sub-dimensions of utilization intention and utilization behavior are specified. Methodologically, a questionnaire on the green utilization of agricultural waste of 704 peasant households in five provinces of Jiangsu, Anhui, Shaanxi, Gansu, and Sichuan was administered. With the help of the structural equation model, the influence path and the internal mechanism was then analyzed. It is shown that: (1) in relation to the “motivational dimension → cognitive dimension,” extrinsic motivation significantly promotes the cultivation of farmers’ subjective norms, in which positive broken windows theory has a positive effect. In contrast, negative broken windows theory has a negative one. In intrinsic motivation, the behavior attitude of farmers is negative. In the response analysis, farmers can realize that their ability, self-efficacy, response efficacy, and response cost all have a positive impact on farmers’ perceived behavioral control. (2) In relation of the “cognitive dimension → behavioral dimension,” behavioral attitude slightly hinders utilization intention, while subjective norms and perceived behavioral control all contribute to a stronger utilization intention; the utilization intention maintains a positive correlation with the utilization behavior.