Behavioral Factors, Attitudes, and Perceptions of the Marketing Mix Influencing Thai Consumers’ Purchase Intention Toward Plant-Based Processed Food Products
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Abstract
This research aimed to examine the effects of consumer behavioral factors including health consciousness, product knowledge, environmental awareness, and concern for animal welfare on attitudes, perceptions of the marketing mix, and purchase intention toward plant-based high-protein food products. In addition, the study also focused to develop and validate a structural equation modeling (SEM) framework that explains the causal relationships among factors influencing purchase intention. A quantitative research was employed using a questionnaire. 400 participants was selected through purposive sampling. The participants were Thai consumers aged 18 years and older. Data analysis was conducted using Python with the Semopy library to perform structural equation modeling, including confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and hypothesis testing based on the proposed research framework. The findings revealed that 1) the developed SEM demonstrated a good fit with the empirical data across all standard indices. The measurement instruments exhibited high reliability and convergent validity, and all proposed hypotheses were supported, indicating that the model effectively explains the causal relationships among the variables. 2) Behavioral factors related to “awareness and concern” positively influenced attitudes, which in turn affected perceptions of the marketing mix, and the marketing mix (4Ps) had the strongest and most direct influence on purchase intention, highlighting marketing factors as the most critical determinants of consumer buying behavior.
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