Exploring farmers' psychological perspectives on multimedia-based agro-advisory services

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Extension and Communication
• Information and Communication Technology in Agriculture
• Behavioral Science and Technology Adoption

Background:

• Multimedia-based agro-advisory services (MAS) are vital for disseminating agricultural information to farmers.
• Existing research on MAS lacks a deep understanding of the psychological factors influencing usage behavior (UB) among agricultural stakeholders.
• Region-specific studies are needed to address this gap and improve MAS adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a conceptual model explaining the psychological determinants of MAS usage behavior (UB) among farmers.
• To adapt the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) framework to incorporate key psychological constructs.
• To identify factors influencing farmers' perceptions and adoption of MAS.

Main Methods:

• Developed a conceptual model integrating effort expectancy (EE), self-efficacy (SE), credibility (CR), risk perception (RP), and perceived benefit (PB).
• Collected data from 225 farmers in the Indo-Gangetic plains of India.
• Employed exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, followed by covariance-based Survey Weighted Structural Equation Modeling (SWSEM).

Main Results:

• Effort expectancy (EE), self-efficacy (SE), and credibility (CR) significantly determine the perceived benefits of MAS.
• Perceived benefit (PB) is positively associated with the usage behavior (UB) of MAS.
• The model demonstrated good fit indices (CFI=0.942, TLI=0.933, RMSEA=0.063, SRMR=0.069).

Conclusions:

• Psychological factors like EE, SE, and CR are crucial for enhancing perceived benefits and driving MAS adoption.
• Perceived benefits mediate the relationship between these factors and actual usage behavior.
• Findings offer valuable insights for developing targeted interventions to improve MAS uptake among farmers.