An Investigation of the Influencing Factors of Chinese WeChat Users’ Environmental Information-Sharing Behavior Based on an Integrated Model of UGT, NAM, and TPB

Yang Chen

doi:10.3390/su12072710

Abstract

Sustainable development is a common challenge for all. Under this background, how to promote public participation in environmental communication has become an important topic. The purpose of this study is to understand the motivating mechanism behind Chinese WeChat users’ environmental information-sharing behavior by taking China’s unique social and cultural background into account. A comprehensive theoretical model for this study is constructed based on the uses and gratification theory, the norm activation model, and the theory of planned behavior. Through an online survey, data were collected from 526 participants to test the research model. The research results show that Chinese WeChat users’ environmental information-sharing behavior is motivated by both egoistic factors (self-presentation, information seeking, and socializing) and altruistic factors (awareness of consequences and ascription of responsibility). During the behavioral decision-making process, these motivating factors impact people’s actual sharing behavior via their attitudes toward the behavior, subjective norms, personal norms, and behavioral intention in various patterns. The findings are discussed from an interdisciplinary perspective of media usage, prosocial behavior, and behavioral psychology. This article not only proposes a new conceptual framework to explain social media users’ behavior of sharing environmental information but also provides important theoretical and practical implications regarding motivating public participation in environmental communication on social media.

Highlights

Social media is playing an increasingly significant role in environmental communication because of its user-directed character [1]
Based on prior literature and the theoretical frameworks of uses and gratification theory (UGT), norm activation model (NAM), and theory of planned behavior (TPB), this study explores what factors of gratification and altruistic stimulus can impact Chinese WeChat users’ environmental information sharing and how these motivational factors work in the formation of the actual behavior
Chinese WeChat users report that they have fun when sharing environmental information and the more enjoyment they get from the sharing process, the more positive their attitudes are toward the behavior, which leads to stronger behavioral intention

Summary

Introduction

Social media is playing an increasingly significant role in environmental communication because of its user-directed character [1]. Social media users can share the links of public service advertisements on environmental protection or news on pollution with their friends through messages. They can broadcast their own environment-friendly lifestyles, such as using green transportation and consuming sustainably produced food on personal pages. As a specific form of prosocial behavior, how can pro-environmental behavior be popularized in the public through social media is a question worthy of exploration but not yet well studied. For addressing questions like this, the present study attempts to start from investigating the motivations of people’s engagement in environmental information dissemination, which is expected to contribute to building up the understanding about activating social media for social benefits

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Conclusion