Motivating Individuals to Take Responsible Ocean Action: The Mediatory Effects of Attitude toward the Ocean

When considering how to improve public literacy and behavior related to specific themes, top priority is usually given to strategies that enhance relevant knowledge. Fostering attitude comes later. Understanding the mechanisms of behavior may help us develop better policy and educational strategies. However, how knowledge and attitude impact behavior is still under investigation. The aim of this study is to explore the relationships among ocean knowledge, attitude toward the ocean, and the intention to behave responsibly in the marine setting. Specifically, we investigated a potential mediation mechanism by recruiting a total of 266 participants, whose ocean knowledge, attitudes toward the ocean, and intention to behave responsibly were evaluated using questionnaires. The results indicate that a person’s attitude toward the ocean may indeed be a mediating factor between ocean knowledge and their intention to show positive marine behavior. In order to engage people in responsible ocean behavior, other forms of assistance from marine policy and education are recommended. Additionally, it would be of interest for future studies to investigate the effects of attitude and attitude-related knowledge in the development of ocean actions.