Behavioural drivers of village savings and loan association participation for social protection in small-scale fishing communities

Small-scale fisheries (SSFs) represent a vital yet vulnerable sector, whose poverty is exacerbated by lack of social protection services (SPS). This study investigates the psychosocial drivers of participation in Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), a critical community-based social protection mechanism in Ghana. Employing an extended Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) framework, we analysed cross-sectional data from 507 small-scale fishers using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Findings indicate that perceived benefits significantly strengthen attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. Notably, perceived behavioural control mediated the positive effects of benefits on both norms and attitudes. Counterintuitively, it also mediated the positive impact of perceived barriers on attitudes, suggesting that recognised obstacles may heighten motivational tension and strengthen resolve rather than diminish it. Behavioural intention is driven directly and indirectly by perceived behavioural control, subjective norms, and attitudes. These insights offer policymakers a behaviourally informed blueprint for designing targeted interventions to enhance social protections and resilience within SSFs.