Despite considerable effort to understand and represent decision making by farmers, there has been little attempt to integrate socio‐economic, psychological and farming variables within a comprehensive framework. This paper attempts to do this in the context of two types of farming behaviour ‐ business and environmental ‐for a sample of over 200 Scottish farmers. Using variables covering their attitudes, objectives and behaviours relevant to many aspects of farming, we proposed mediating variables models of business‐oriented and environmentally‐oriented farming behaviours. Structural equation modelling was used to test the adequacy of the proposed models. The results of the study emphasise the importance of psychological factors in the decision making of farmers.

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Many health researchers have reported higher mortality and morbidity rates for men than for women. Various writers have argued that such differences reflect men's delay in seeking help when required and that reluctance to seek help reflects prevailing constructions of hegemonic masculinity. The authors report findings from an interview study of 12 older men's understandings of health and ill health. In describing health, participants constructed identities consistent with prevailing notions of hegemonic masculinity. When discussing ill health, they aligned themselves with less powerful identities that were inconsistent with the "ideal" hegemonic masculinity. Participants used a "time will tell" discursive formulation to negotiate transitions between hegemonic and subordinate identities. Delay in seeking help, accordingly, can be viewed as reflecting transitions in identity rather than hegemonic masculinity itself. These constructions are consistent with those found in other contexts and act to disadvantage men both in health terms and in identity terms.

Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) are employed as compulsory instruments to meet standards on EU water quality. Farmers operating in NVZs face a number of restrictions on agricultural activity and a greater requirement for record keeping in relation to timing and quantities of nitrogen inputs used. This paper presents results of a survey into the attitudes and values of farmers within the designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) in Scotland. A typology based on perceptions towards water quality management was developed using factor and cluster analysis techniques. Three types were identified as 'resistors', 'apathists' and 'multifunctionalists'. The 'resistors' and the 'multifunctionalists' had similar approaches to land use management, but then diverged in terms of their perceptions towards the environment, water management and the NVZ regulations in particular. The apathists were indifferent towards the aims of the regulation and to water quality management in general. This was also evidenced by their lack of uptake of voluntary measures for improving water quality. The lack of engagement from the 'apathists', which represent around a third of the responses to the survey, is particularly problematic for policy makers. There is a need for greater targeting of information to this farmer type emphasising favourable perceptions which encourage water quality management behaviours.Nitrate Vulnerable Zones, voluntary farmer behaviour, cluster analysis, diffuse water pollution,

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The effects of personality and intelligence on economic behaviour in a sample of 207 Scottish farmers were investigated. Data were available on the farmers' attitudes, objectives, and business-related behaviours, together with personality trait and cognitive test scores. Structural equation models of production-oriented business behaviour and environmentally oriented behaviour were constructed. It was found that farmers who score highly on Extraversion (E), Openness to Experience (O), Conscientiousness (C), and cognitive ability are more likely to show production-oriented behaviour and that the effects of personality and cognitive ability are mediated by a more open attitude towards farming. For environmentally oriented behaviour, high scores on E, O, C, and cognitive ability were associated with this behaviour, with mediation by an achievement-oriented attitude to farming, chemical use attitude, and off-farm/diversi®cation objectives; there was also a positive effect of Neuroticism, mediated by pessimistic attitudes to farming and off-farm/diversi®cation objectives. These results show that that personality and intelligence have substantial and measurable effects on farmers' economic behaviour.

Purpose -This paper aims to explore ethical purchasing behaviours and attitudes, relating to the Royal Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and their brand-extension "Freedom Food". Design/methodology/approach -A mixed methodology was adopted. This involved both in-depth interviews with 30 consumers and a postal survey of 1,000 consumers. Beliefs, attitudes, normative and control issues were measured within the context of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). Structural equation modelling was used to explore a series of dependence relationships simultaneously. Findings -Overall, consumers' moral obligations towards food-animals as well as consumer location are confirmed as influencing ethical brand choice. Both variables provide additional predictive capability improvements, raising the percentage of explained variance by 28 per cent to 80 per cent. The RSPCA's brand extension is clearly successful in terms of the positive, association value between the parent brand and the extended brand. However, market opportunities to increase market potential exist. These opportunities are discussed. Originality/value -Despite the plethora of brand extensions amongst conventional fast-moving consumer goods, the success of the brand extension concept remains unexplored amongst ethical products. Similarly, within the ethical consumption literature the majority of ethical research focuses either on environmental issues or Fair Trade purchasing behaviour, with much less attention given to societal concern for animal welfare. Additional originality is gained by exploring consumer purchase activities of "Freedom Food" branded meat by adopting the TPB as a theoretical framework.