Effects of Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Factors on College Students’ Bottled Water Purchase Intentions

Consumption of single-use bottled water has created severe environmental pollution problems around the world. By incorporating the theory of planned behavior with the additional cognitive and behavioral factors of perception, prior behavior, and knowledge variables, this study examined college students’ bottled water consumption intentions. Results show that perceived peer norm, behavioral control, and perceived bottled water benefits are significantly related to purchase intentions, as are prior levels of bottled water and tap water consumption. The same is not true for attitude toward and knowledge of bottled water consumption. Perceived tap water benefits negatively moderated the attitude-purchase intention relationship, whereas prior bottled water consumption negatively moderated the behavioral control-purchase intention link.