Unravelling Belgian Blue cattle farmers' adoption intention towards diagnostic tools: Integrating insights from behavioural economics and socio-cognitive theories.
Behavioural biases
Farmers’ adoption of diagnostic tools
Focus group studies
Macrocyclic lactones resistance
Mange
Theory of planned behaviour
Journal
Preventive veterinary medicine
ISSN: 1873-1716
Titre abrégé: Prev Vet Med
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 8217463
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Mar 2021
Mar 2021
Historique:
received:
11
02
2020
revised:
17
12
2020
accepted:
20
12
2020
pubmed:
24
1
2021
medline:
17
8
2021
entrez:
23
1
2021
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Macrocyclic lactone resistance in Psoroptes ovis mites, causing psoroptic mange, is emerging in beef cattle. Therefore, diagnostic tools that can indicate macrocyclic lactone resistance should be implemented at farms in order to control these parasitic infections and slow down emerging resistance. Unfortunately, the adoption of such tools remains relatively poor. This study explores which beliefs, and behavioural biases that misconstrue these beliefs, underlie farmers' adoption intention. Five semi-structured focus groups were conducted with Belgian Blue cattle farmers (n = 38). Inductive analysis revealed that farmers' positive attitudes towards acaricides use and risk perception towards acaricide resistance made them rather reluctant to implement diagnostic tools. In addition, farmers' susceptibility to acaricide resistance occurring on their farm was weakened by the optimism and availability bias. Deductive analysis revealed that economic reasons, usefulness of the diagnostic tool and contribution to animal wellbeing motivated farmers to adopt such tools (i.e., behavioural beliefs). However, the loss aversion and time discounting bias weakened farmers' beliefs related to economic reasons. The veterinarian was seen as the responsible actor for implementing diagnostic tools, while colleague-farmers' opinion related to the diagnostic tool was also valued (i.e., normative beliefs). The latter belief was strengthened by the bandwagon-effect bias. Farmers' beliefs about economic costs related to the diagnostic tool tended to hinder adoption intention, while the veterinarian's assistance motivated farmers to implement such tools (i.e., control beliefs). The loss aversion bias also strengthened farmers' control beliefs related to the diagnostic tools' perceived costs. As such, this article provides more insights into the (ir)rational factors shaping farmers' intention to adopt diagnostic tools. These insights might help animal health organisations to design communication strategies to stimulate the adoption of diagnostic tools on beef cattle farms.
Identifiants
pubmed: 33485246
pii: S0167-5877(20)30922-3
doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105238
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
105238Informations de copyright
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