ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Vet. Sci.
Sec. Animal Behavior and Welfare
Understanding Public Engagement in Animal Welfare in South Korea: A Theory of Planned Behavior Approach
Provisionally accepted
- 1Seoul National University College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- 2Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- 3University of Seoul College of Urban Science, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Human-animal relationships have evolved significantly in recent decades, becoming increasingly diverse and ethically complex, thereby prompting increased societal concern for animal welfare. This study investigates public perceptions of animal welfare levels and related policies in South Korea, as well as the psychological and contextual determinants of pro-animal behavior as animal welfare engagement, employing the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) as its theoretical framework. Drawing on national survey data from 2,000 South Korean adults, the analysis reveals a growing public demand for appropriate and effective political engagement in animal welfare issues. We examined how attitude toward animals, subjective norm, and perceived efficacy (both internal and external) influence behavioral intentions and outcomes related to animal welfare. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that both pro-animal attitudes and internal efficacy significantly predict the intention to consider animal welfare, while subjective norm and external efficacy do not exert significant influence. Notably, internal efficacy demonstrated both direct and indirect positive effects on pro-animal behavior, whereas the effect of external efficacy was statistically insignificant. These findings suggest that internal motivation and perceived efficacy are stronger drivers of behavioral engagement in animal welfare. Moreover, our results imply a potential mediation effect by internal efficacy between external efficacy and behavioral outcomes, underlining the importance of confidence supported by institutions. This study highlights the value of individual-level approaches in animal welfare research and policy, and directs future research toward integrating policy feedback theory to further explore the dynamic interplay between institutional frameworks and personal dispositions.
Keywords: Animal Welfare, policy, Theory of Planned Behavior, Animal Attitude Scale, Structural Equation Modeling, self-effiacy
Received: 01 Jul 2025; Accepted: 30 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Joo, Chun and Park. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Hyomin Park, hyominp@uos.ac.kr
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