## 2 Methods and Variables
### Selection and Description of the Study Variables
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{l l l l} \hline \hline
**Factors Category** & **Variable** & **Question** & **Measurement** \\ \hline \multirow{8}{*}{**Farmers’ Willingness**} & \multirow{8}{*}{**Farmers’ Willingness**} & **(PU1)** & **understand the** \\  & & **feasibility of research** & **Ordinal/1-5 Likert scale** \\  & & **programs to improve the** & **(Disagree-Agree)** \\  & & **agricultural sector** & \\ \cline{2-3}  & **(PU2)** & **My participation in a** & \\  & **research program would** & **Ordinal/1-5 Likert scale** \\  & **increase the prestige of my** & **(Disagree-Agree)** & \\  & & **business.** & \\ \cline{2-3}  & **(PU3)** & **It is worth investing** & **Ordinal/1-5 Likert scale** \\  & & **some money to participate in a research project** & **(Disagree-Agree)** \\ \cline{2-3}  & **(Trust 1)** & **I feel like a European Union citizen.** & **Ordinal/1-5 Likert scale** \\  & **(Disagree-Agree)** & \\ \cline{2-3}  & **(Trust 2)** & **I trust the European Union for providing support in Greek agriculture** & **Ordinal/1-5 Likert scale** \\  & **(Trust 3)** & **I trust universities in acquiring knowledge for my** & **Ordinal/1-5 Likert scale** \\  & **(Disagree-Agree)** & \\ \hline \multirow{8}{*}{**Motives (Mot)**} & **(Mot 1)** & **I enjoy farming activities** & **Ordinal/1-5 Likert scale** \\  & **activities** & **(Disagree-Agree)** & \\ \cline{2-3}  & **(Mot 2)** & **I would hardly abandon farming for another job with the same income** & **Ordinal/1-5 Likert scale** \\ \cline{2-3}  & **Awareness** & **I have a good knowledge of some research projects that have been successfully implemented in my area.** & **Ordinal/1-5 Likert scale** \\ \cline{2-3}  & **Info Engagement (Info)** & **In the last five years have you** & \\ \cline{2-3}  & **Info Development of the** & **been engaged in any of the following activities?** & \\ \cline{2-3}  & **Info Development of the** & **Attended a training seminar** & \\ \cline{2-3}  & **Info Development of the** & **Attended a coperative meeting** & **0-7**/The sum of the activities that each farmer has undertaken \\ \cline{2-3}  & **Other colleagues** & **Formed an inquiry to an agricultural consultant.** & \\ \cline{2-3}  & **Formed an inquiry to** & **University** & \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table} 
Table 1: The explanatory variables of the study. The first variable of the \"direct and wider social influences\" category is labeled as _Awareness_ as it captures the awareness of farmers regarding the existence and the results of PRPs. It has been shown by past surveys that farmers acquire knowledge around many agricultural issues by their social interactions with neighboring farmers [25, 37]. Moreover, many authors claim that it is more likely for farmers to engage in an activity or adopt a technology when this has been already positively evaluated by their peers and colleagues [32, 38]. This is done either because the former engagement of some farmers acts as a best practice diffused by the word of mouth to the other farmers, or through a mechanism of social pressure exerted on the ones that have not yet shown the same behavior [25, 39]. Therefore, the inclusion of this variable in the model is done in order to test the hypothesis that farmers who know some colleagues that have been successfully engaged in PRP are more familiar with the subject and they are more likely to take part in a PRP. The second variable of this category is named Information Engagement (Info), and it measures the overall activity of farmers in acquiring knowledge around farming issues and practices. Farmers were given seven types of information gathering activities and were asked to indicate in which of them they have been engaged during the past five years. It is expected that farmers with a highest activity in acquiring knowledge and a higher inclination to learn new things would be keener on undertaking one additional activity, namely, this of their participation in a PRP.