Date
4-29-2026
Department
School of Aeronautics
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy in Aviation (PhD)
Chair
Brandon Waggoner
Keywords
Knowledge, attitude, behavior, KAB, SEM, safety communication
Disciplines
Aviation
Recommended Citation
Kraay, Nikkolas Howard, "Quantitative Study of the Predictive Correlational Relationship between Passenger Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behaviors in Aviation Ground Safety Events" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 8267.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/8267
Abstract
This study examined the relationships between passenger cabin safety knowledge, attitude, and behavior using the Knowledge-Attitude-Behavior (KAB) framework as the guiding theoretical model. Although prior aviation safety research has demonstrated a linear progression from knowledge to attitudes to behaviors, these studies were conducted primarily in Asian cultural contexts. The present study investigated whether this linear sequence would hold within a larger cultural passenger population. A predictive correlational design was used, and data was collected through an online survey completed by 194 adult airline passengers. The instrument measured cabin safety knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intent, along with demographic characteristics.
Data was analyzed using a multi-stage structural equation modeling (SEM) approach. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that the instrument did not capture knowledge as a unidimensional construct, but instead captured knowledge as three distinct factors that resulted in a five-factor measurement model that demonstrated improved fit. Reliability and convergent validity were acceptable across constructs, although discriminant validity was limited due to high shared variance. Structural modeling indicated that the relationships among the knowledge constructs, attitudes, and behaviors were weaker than predicted by the traditional KAB framework. Knowledge showed only a modest association with attitudes and behavior, with attitudes demonstrating a strong association with behaviors. Mediation effects were minimal, and the indirect predictive influence of knowledge and attitudes on behavior was limited.
These findings suggest that the KAB model may not operate in a strictly linear manner within multi-cultural populations and that passenger safety knowledge is more complex than previously conceptualized. The study highlights the need for more nuanced theoretical models of passenger safety engagement and offers recommendations for future research and aviation safety communication strategies.
