Exploring Educational Tourists' Destination Selection Behavior Using the Extended S-O-R Model

Abstract

The education industry is under increased competition due to the rapid expansion of new educational tourist destinations and higher education. This study utilized the stimulus-organism response (S-O-R) theory to examine the relationship between extrinsic motivation, emotions, cognitive image, and the destination choice of educational tourists. Destination image is a reliable indicator of destination selection behavior in many research contexts. However, in educational tourism, destination image's role as a mediator within the stimulus-organism response (S-O-R) hypothesis is limited. Therefore, the researchers chose the S-O-R theory as the foundational theory and modified the Mehrabian-Russell model as the conceptual framework for this study. An empirical evaluation of the theoretical framework was conducted using a survey of 208 international educational tourists who are residing in Malaysia. The Partial Least Squares method (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyze the obtained data. The results corroborated the adapted Mehrabian-Russell model of environmental psychology theory within the realm of educational tourism. The study revealed seven significant correlations among the four constructs: extrinsic motivation, emotion, cognitive image, and destination selection behavior. A comprehensive understanding of the significance of external motivation and the perception of a location in the selection process of educational tourism destinations has substantial implications for the Malaysian government's endeavors to establish itself as a preferred choice for international educational tourists in the global market. The outcome of this study benefits future researchers by expanding the theoretical nature of the S-O-R model in other study setting.