Intangible cultural heritage (ICH) is reported to be disappearing rapidly. Collaboration among different persons is critical to the preservation of ICH inheritance. Previous studies have focused mainly on the inheritance of ICH from the individual perspective, while ignoring the perspective of multi-subject collaboration. For this study, we developed and applied an extended theory of planned behavior (TPB) to examine the effectiveness of the intentions and behaviors of public participation in the inheritance of ICH during the collaboration process in the inheritance of Regong art in Qinghai Province, China. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the strength of relationships among constructs, and a questionnaire (completed by 351 residents) was used to collect data. The results show that this extended theory of planned behavior can be applied in the evaluation of the collaboration process in the inheritance of ICH. We also introduce a novel construct to the TPB, ‘shared religious beliefs’, defined as uniformity of religion within a social group (in this case, an ethnic minority group), that is, a mono-religious community. Our results show that this construct has a significantly positive effect on collaboration intention among the general public.

Social trust plays a pivotal role in fostering a willingness to collaborate among multiple subjects for the sustainable development of intangible cultural heritage. This study examined the effect of interpersonal trust and institutional trust on the collaboration intention of inheritors regarding the protection of intangible cultural heritage. We conducted a survey with 220 Regong Thangka inheritors in China, employing a binary logistic model for data analysis. The findings showed that both interpersonal trust (e. g., trust in relatives, neighbors, and Tibetan Buddhists) and institutional trust (e. g., trust in local officials and the government) positively predicted the collaboration intention of inheritors. Furthermore, there was a significant and positive correlation between the education level and the collaboration intention of inheritors. The findings of this study contribute to a deeper understanding of the factors influencing inheritors' motivations in the collaborative efforts to protect intangible cultural heritage.

Public digital cultural services (PDCS) are vital for providing cultural resources in the digital age, and their success is closely associated with active public collaboration. While the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) explains behavioral intention through attitudes and subjective norms, it overlooks the role of institutional structures. Drawing on TRA and Control Rights Theory, this study constructs an extended theoretical framework by introducing perceived shared control rights as a core antecedent variable and digital trust as a moderating variable, aiming to explore the psychological factors associated with individual collaborative behavior in PDCS. A questionnaire survey was conducted with 819 users of PDCS platforms, and the research hypotheses were tested using Structural Equation Modeling. The results show that individuals’ attitudes and subjective norms are positively associated with their collaborative willingness, which in turn is positively associated with actual collaborative behavior. Perceived shared control rights are positively associated with both collaborative willingness and collaborative behavior, and also show an indirect association with collaborative behavior through collaborative willingness. Additionally, digital trust moderates the relationship between collaborative willingness and collaborative behavior, with this positive association being stronger for individuals with higher digital trust. This study bridges the gap between macro-institutional structures and micro-psychological behavior in PDCS research, offering theoretical insights and practical references for advancing collaborative governance and supporting the sustainable development of PDCS.

Public digital cultural service (PDCS) platforms are central to promoting equitable access to cultural resources in the digital era; however, sustaining users’ continued engagement remains a key challenge for public-sector platforms. This study examines the psychological mechanisms underlying users’ continued use intention toward PDCS platforms within a public governance context. Building on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Information Systems Success Model (ISSM), an integrated framework is developed that incorporates perceived government support as a moderating mechanism, thereby extending technology acceptance research to public digital cultural services. Empirical analysis, employing structural equation modeling, was conducted on survey data collected from 789 PDCS platform users in China. The results demonstrate that perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use both exert significant positive impacts on users’ continued use intention toward PDCS platforms. Perceived ease of use positively influences perceived usefulness, which further mediates the relationship between perceived ease of use and continued use intention. Additionally, information quality and system quality are confirmed to be positive antecedents of both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. More importantly, perceived government support significantly enhances the positive effects of both perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use on users’ continued use intention. By integrating individual technology acceptance mechanisms with institutional support factors, this study deepens understanding of user engagement in public digital cultural services and offers practical implications for enhancing platform sustainability through improvements in system design, information quality, and government support strategies.