Understanding the antecedents of Chinese people’s pro-environmental behavior: the role of self-construal and news attention

Abstract

This study aims to extend the attitude-intention-behavior model by adding news attention and interdependent self-construal as antecedents to understand the pro-environmental behavior of Chinese people. Results of the structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis based on web survey data of 715 Chinese individuals show that interdependent self-construal significantly and positively affected individuals’ attention to environmental news messages on new media platforms. Such news attention then positively affected their attitude toward pro-environmental behavior. In turn, pro-environmental behavioral attitude positively affected their pro-environmental behavioral intention. Finally, individuals’ pro-environmental behavioral intention positively led to their actual pro-environmental behavior. Besides, the results demonstrated that interdependent self-construal also significantly and positively affects individuals’ intention of engaging in pro-environmental behavior, but little evidence was found to support the significant association between interdependent self-construal and pro-environmental attitude. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.