Psychosocial Determinants Affecting Individuals' Voluntary Engagement in Water Conservation Behaviors

Water scarcity has traditionally been a severe challenge for urban environments located in dry regions and is becoming a global concern, even for water-abundant countries. Nowadays, encouraging individuals to adopt water conservation behaviors (WCBs) is a critical strategy for responding to water scarcity. Considering the voluntary nature of WCBs, success in urban water conservation measures needs an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms and determinants behind behavioral changes, leading individuals to support such initiatives. Environmental psychology can be applied to recognize primary socio-psychological factors behind individuals' WCBs, leading to more effective practices for water demand management by identifying policy-making leverage points. Hence, the main objective of this study is to explore the key determinants and prerequisites affecting individuals' adoption of WCBs through the application of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) as a theoretical research framework. For this purpose, a cross-sectional survey is conducted using a structured questionnaire as a research tool to analyze data and examine the research hypotheses. As a case study, this research targets staff/students at the University of Innsbruck, Austria. The face and content validity of the questionnaire is also confirmed. Moreover, the current study employs structural equation modeling (SEM) as a powerful multivariate analytical tool in social and behavioral sciences. The research results can provide a policy guide for decision-makers and contribute to developing and devising behavioral interventions aimed at improving individuals’ involvement in WCBs.