Psychological determinants of spring festival homecoming: attitude ambivalence moderates the effect of subjective norms

Introduction: Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study examines how subjective norms influence Spring Festival homecoming intention and subsequent homecoming behavior. TPB posits that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control are central determinants of intention and behavior, and suggests that the relative weight of these determinants may vary across decision conditions. Building on this framework, we consider attitudinal ambivalence as a key moderator of the normative pathway. Methods: Using two-wave survey data from 884 Chinese participants, we tested a moderated mediation model using structural equation modeling. Results: The results indicate that stay-local subjective norms negatively predict homecoming intention and actual behavior. Moreover, this indirect effect becomes stronger under conditions of high attitudinal ambivalence. Discussion: This study shows that attitudinal ambivalence shifts the relative influence of subjective norms in predicting intention and subsequent behavior, clarifying how normative pathways operate when evaluative guidance is conflicted.