Scale framing, benefit framing and their interaction effects on energy-saving behaviors: Evidence from urban residents of China

Abstract

Based on an experiment on urban residents in China, this study analyzes the influence of differently framed messages on energy-saving behaviors. It is the first to study the effect of scale framing (large vs. small scale) and the interaction effects between scale and benefit framing (environmental vs. monetary benefit) on energy-saving behaviors. The study also analyzes the mediating effect of attitude, and the moderating effect of contextual factors. Data was collected from 1280 Chinese residents and was analyzed using a structural equation model. The results indicate that scale framing has significant effects on energy-saving usage behavior both directly and indirectly. However, the environmental or monetary benefit of saving energy surprisingly makes no difference to urban residents. Interestingly, in the monetary framing, large-scale messages can significantly promote energy-saving usage behavior compared to small-scale ones, while the differences are not significant in the environmental framing. Among the contextual factors, individual income and education level have significant moderating effects on several paths in our theoretical model. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications for energy-saving behavior promotion are discussed.