Table 2 Definition of the research variables
From: Sociological factors influencing the performance of organic activities in Iran
Type of Variable | Variables | Definitions |
|---|---|---|
Independent | Knowledge of organic agriculture principles | People’s awareness level on the principles of organic agriculture include health, ecology, fairness and care. |
Independent | Moral norms | They are considered as a pattern for public expectation of behavior rising from group values. In the present study, moral norms are the society’s expectations, as well as farmers’ self-expectation of performing environmental activities as a moral commitment in a particular situation (for instance, not using chemical inputs). |
Independent | Responsibility of pro-environmental behavior | Responsibility includes honesty, respect, responsiveness, justice, and courage. In addition, the responsibility of behavior is commitment to perform personal acts and accept the consequence of those acts. In the study, the responsibility of behavior means accepting the consequences of agricultural activities by farmers and trying to decrease undesired environmental consequences. |
Independent | Environmental identity | It is the internal and mental relationship with natural and non-human environment based on historical record, emotional affiliations, and similarities which affect human behavior with the world. Overall, human belongs to environment and that nature is part of him. |
Independent | Attitude to negative consequences of the conventional agriculture | Evaluating the conventional agriculture consequences negatively or positively, as well as the attitude toward the outcomes of this agriculture system |
Independent | Social norms | The norms are considered as the regulations conducting behaviors. In the present study, they refer to farmers’ perception of social expectations and pressures to show pro-environmental behaviors. |
Intermediate | Perceived control of pro- environmental behavior | People’s perception of their control on personal actions to protect the environment by choosing and being willing to do pro-environmental activities such as organic agriculture |
Intermediate | Attitude to the environment | People’s belief in environmental problems and concerns about these problems or a complicated and multi-dimensional concept including negative and positive emotions on the environment, and a mental state which affects people’s selections on the environment |
Intermediate | Intention for organic agriculture | The intention means providing the personal instructions to perform a set of particular actions for achieving planned aims. Therefore, it is defined as individual’s intention to plan for eliminating each type of harmful and chemical inputs in agricultural activities, as well as adopting the organic agriculture. |
Dependent | Adoption of organic agricultural activities | Implementing the principles and different techniques of organic agriculture properly and practically such as replacing compost, vermicompost and green fertilizers instead of chemical inputs, no-tillage technology, etc. |