Research on the Effects of Social Learning and Risk Attitudes on Rural Households’ Participation in Agricultural Product E-Commerce

E-commerce for agricultural products serves as a critical link connecting smallholders with markets; however, technological barriers and market uncertainties during its transitional phase have led to low participation rates among farmers, creating a key bottleneck for industrial upgrading. The social learning mechanisms inherent in rural communities may influence farmers’ decisions by reshaping risk attitudes—a pathway that has not been sufficiently empirically examined. Based on social learning theory and risk attitude theory, this study uses survey data from 327 peach farmers in Qingdao, Shandong Province, to construct an analytical framework of “social learning – risk attitude – decision behavior.” Employing the Heckman two-stage model, IV-Probit, and mediation effect models, we systematically investigate the mechanisms through which these core factors affect farmers’ participation in e-commerce. The results indicate that social learning—through observational and reinforcement dimensions—significantly enhances both the decision and extent of e-commerce participation. Risk attitude plays a fully mediating role: social learning indirectly promotes participation by increasing farmers’ risk preference. Furthermore, individual and environmental characteristics such as gender, age, and logistics accessibility significantly influence participation decisions. Heterogeneity analysis reveals that the marginal effect of social learning is stronger among farmers in less developed areas and those not participating in cooperatives. These findings uncover the micro-level decision-making mechanisms behind e-commerce adoption and provide empirical support for constructing diversified rural learning systems, implementing differentiated risk education, and designing targeted training programs.