[Objective] To analyze the cognition and behavior of different household in order to provide support for the government policy making and guide farmers to strengthen the supervision and protection of cultivated land.[Methods] This research took Zhoukou City in He'nan Province as an example

to investigate household's cognition and behavior of cultivated land protection by stratified random sampling and participatory rural appraisal(PRA) assessment method. The factors that influence farmer's cognition and behavior were studied by using binary Logistic regression models.[Results] (1) With the improvement of education

the cognition of household on the importance of farmland

time investment preferences

confidence in the prospects for the cultivated land protection

and the agricultural pollution prevention showed as:Ⅰ < Ⅱ < Ⅲ < Ⅳ. In contrast

the willingness to participate after compensation

regularly using organic fertilizer or soil testing fertilizer

and to prevent other people from destroying the arable land showed as:Ⅰ > Ⅱ > Ⅲ > Ⅳ. (2) Some of the factors that influence the behavior of farmers were similar in all types of household

while the others were different. The same factors included education degree

investment preference

willingness to accept compensate. The factors that influence the household with high average age and less labors included age

the number of farmers

and the way of compensation. The factors that influence household specialized in agriculture included family gross income

cultivate area and arable land fragmentation. The factors that influence natural assets household(work short in farming

and high non-farm income) included non-farm income

the economic benefits of grain production. The factors that influence assets type household(living in town and invested less in farming) included cultivated land economic location

the current food prices and policy compensation mode.[Conclusion] As the direct participants of cultivated land protection

household's cognition and behavior determines the effectiveness of farmland protection to a large extent.