Expectations, motivation and study tour consumption intentions: Attitude mediation and psychological stress

Abstract

Educational study tours require students to reconcile anticipated learning and recreational benefits with personal travel goals and continuing academic demands. This study examines the relationships of study tour expectations and motivation with consumption intentions, the indirect associations through attitude, and the proposed moderating role of psychological stress. Questionnaire evidence from students at private universities in Zhejiang, China, is organised around five focal constructs and eight hypotheses. The numerical estimates retain the doctoral study's broader specification as their estimation context; the five-construct framework is not a separately re-estimated model. Expectations and motivation were positively associated with consumption intentions (β = .140 and .182; both p = .003) and with study tour attitude (β = .285 and .284; both p < .001). Attitude was positively associated with intentions (β = .248, p < .001). Indirect associations through attitude were significant for expectations (β = .071, p = .004) and motivation (β = .070, p = .008). The attitude-by-stress interaction was not supported (β = −.004, p = .945). These findings are consistent with an evaluative pathway connecting anticipated benefits and personal goals with broad consumption intentions. The outcome comprises spending, revisit and recommendation intentions rather than verified expenditure. Programme implications concern clear information, goal-relevant activities and preparation support; causal mediation and conditional indirect effects require stronger temporal and measurement evidence.