Pro-environmental Behavioral Intentions Research Articles

Empowering pro-environmental behavior in tourists through digital media: the influence of eco-guilt and empathy with nature

In the digital economy era, leveraging digital media to foster tourists’ pro-environmental behavioral intention (TPEBI) has become crucial in the field of sustainable tourism. While existing studies have mainly focused on the driving mechanism of TPEBI within physical tourism contexts, the correlation between digital media information sharing and TPEBI remains unclear. Our study employs the cognitive-affective-conative framework to construct a theoretical model, considering eco-guilt and empathy with nature as mediating variables. It aims to explore the influencing mechanism of destination environmental information sharing through digital media on TPEBI from a presence perspective. Thereby, two scenario experiments were designed: Study 1 examined the impact of different formats of destination environmental threat information presentation on digital media on the sense of presence, while Study 2 explored the influencing mechanism of presence on TPEBI based on the conclusions of Study 1. Results indicate that (1) vivid and visible presentation formats of destination environmental threat information on digital media enhance individuals’ sense of presence; (2) sense of presence positively influences TPEBI; and (3) eco-guilt and empathy with nature mediate between presence and TPEBI. These findings not only contribute to theoretical and empirical research on digital media information sharing in sustainable tourism but also offer guidance for governments and tourism destinations to effectively stimulate TPEBI through digital media, achieve the sustainable development of destinations.

Gratitude Letters to Nature: Effects on Self-Nature Representations and Pro-Environmental Behavioral Intentions

Although gratitude is often defined as an emotion that motivates reciprocity and social connectedness, people can also experience gratitude to nonhuman entities such as nature. Despite expressions of gratitude to nature being common in many cultures, little research has examined its implications for sustainability. In two studies, we explored how writing letters of gratitude to nature increase pro-environmental behavior by leading people to see nature as large and by leading to more inclusion of nature in one’s self-concept. Study 1 compared the effects of nature gratitude letters to gratitude letters to built environments and to a control condition, finding that nature gratitude letters led to greater inclusion of nature in self and greater perceptions of nature size. Although there was no direct effect on intentions to act pro-environmentally, nature gratitude letters had indirect effects leading to greater pro-environmental intentions via both increased nature size and nature inclusion. Study 2 replicated these findings and explored two potential moderators: biospheric value orientation and personal norms of positive reciprocity. Replicating Study 1, nature gratitude letters led to more nature inclusion and greater nature size, and they produced stronger self-transcendent emotions and more pro-environmental behavioral intentions. Further, an interaction showed that the benefits of nature gratitude letters on pro-environmental behavioral intentions was only significant among those with relatively greater endorsement of biospheric values. Implications for sustainability and emotions research are discussed.

A Study on the Plant Sketching Practice for the Enhancement of People's Intention for Pro-Environmental Behavior

Background and objective: Many scholars agree that the key to mitigating the environmental crisis lies in altering human behavior. To better understand this linkage, it is crucial to identify the psychological determinants of one's pro-environmental behavioral intention (PEB) and examine the process through which such behavior is generated. This study focuses on one such process, drawing of plants. We test whether visually representing plants by engaging in freehand drawing would influence actual behavioral intentions to improve the quality of our environment and whether this association is mediated by the key environment-psychological factors (attitude toward plants and affection to the natural environment).Methods: To answer this question, we conducted a quasi-experiment with 235 students from selected colleges in Seoul by dividing them into control and treatment groups. The control group participated in regular outdoor activities during a field trip while the treatment group engaged in drawing of plants during the trip. Survey answers and drawings were analyzed to examine the effect of plant drawing practice on PEB and the mediative role of the psychological constructs.Results: Our T-test and the partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) test revealed the following findings: (1) Engaging in plant drawing practice is more effective in developing positive attitudes toward plants and affection to the natural environment than engaging only in normative outdoor experience. (2) Analytical-observational drawings are influential to PEB by mediating through plant attitude, and expressive-subjective drawings are influential to PEB by mediating through environmental affect. (3) Gender was a critical factor in determining plant attitude, environmental attitude, and PEB.Conclusion: In sum, the findings suggest that plant drawing experience has a significant impact on developing PEB, and thus, it can be an effective means to foster a biospheric mindset as well as nature-protective behavior.

Crucial to Me and my society: How collectivist culture influences individual pro-environmental behavior through environmental values

While numerous studies have verified the norm-sustainability relationship, few have delved deeply into this set of relationships. To address this research gap, this study theoretically analyzes the roles of collectivist culture and individual self-construal in the norm-sustainability relationship in the Asian context. Drawing on the value-basis theory and the competitive altruism hypothesis and employing cultural data from an Asian context with hierarchical regression analysis, empirical findings indicate that collectivist culture positively promotes pro-environmental behavior, with altruistic values and biospheric values mediating this positive relationship. At the same time, individual socioeconomic status positively moderates the norm-sustainability relationship. The theoretical contribution of this study lies in theoretically identifying collectivist culture as a deep-seated cultural factor triggering the norm-sustainability relationship in the Asian context. Examining the moderating role of self-construal in the norm-sustainability relationship sheds light on the reasons for the gap between individual pro-environmental behavioral intentions and actions in the Asian context. Lastly, this study provides a new cultural perspective for understanding the formation of biospheric values. Policy implications suggest a focus on the collective atmosphere of collectivism in Asia to stimulate individual environmental responsibility alongside the cultivation of rational environmental perspectives to balance participation across socioeconomic strata in societal and economic development.

Gender and Socioeconomic Influences on Ten Pro-Environmental Behavior Intentions: A German Comparative Study

Pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) such as climate-friendly mobility and eating habits hold great promise in terms of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and, thus, are important goals for addressing climate change from a population perspective. Yet, sociodemographic correlates and differences in PEB intentions have to be considered in designing messages and behavior change interventions. This study implemented a quota-sampling survey (N = 979, 511 women, 468 men, age M = 50.4, SD = 17.2) of the German population and found that, overall, participants exhibit strong intentions to engage in various PEBs, with the exception of cycling and adopting a vegetarian diet. Moreover, women displayed higher intentions to engage in PEBs compared to men, particularly in adopting a vegetarian diet. The relationships between socioeconomic status (SES) and PEB intentions, as well as the combined effects of gender and SES, were inconsistent for different PEB intentions. We conclude that on a population level, intention-building interventions are necessary for vegetarianism and cycling, while for the other PEBs, interventions may focus on closing the intention–behavior gap. There is a need to further research the interplay of different PEBs in diverse groups and for interventional studies targeting the discrepancy in eating habits across genders.

Do destination personality and self-congruity matter for the pro-environmental behavioral intention? Nature-based pro-environmental behavior

Purpose The study aims to draw on the self-congruity theory to investigate the relationship among destination personality (DP), self-congruity and tourists’ pro-environmental behavioral intention (BI) among Guangzhou citizens who have experienced nature-based tourism (NBT). Design/methodology/approach The survey-based quantitative research was divided into two rounds, namely, a preliminary study exploring the dimensions of DP and the verification of whether the DP dimensions that significantly affect pro-environmental BI in step one would be selected for the main research to validate the conceptual model. Findings The results suggest that wholesome, one of the destination personalities, strongly predicts tourists’ pro-environmental BI, while actual self-congruity plays a mediating role between sincere, another DP, and tourists’ pro-environmental BI. Practical implications In practice, it offers multidimensional knowledge and robust evidence-based recommendations for the sustainable development and destination branding of NBT destinations in the post-epidemic era. Originality/value The study presents pioneering work that reveals previously underestimated factors influencing pro-environmental BI.

Mechanisms of Climate Change Media Effects: Roles of Risk Perception, Negative Emotion, and Efficacy Beliefs

ABSTRACT In the context of climate change communication, this study explores the process through which exposure to media messages about a risk leads to recommended behavioral intentions. We propose a model of this process based on the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) and the Risk Perception Attitude (RPA) framework. Our model analyzes how risk perception, negative emotion, and efficacy beliefs mediate and moderate the effects of media messages on people’s intention to engage in pro-environmental behaviors. A national survey among 1,000 adults in South Korea was analyzed, and the fitting of PROCESS Models 4 and 15 yielded four main findings. First, media exposure was directly and positively related to risk perception, negative emotion, and pro-environmental behavioral intention. However, the significant relation between media exposure and behavioral intention was partly conditional upon efficacy beliefs. Second, risk perception and negative emotion were also significantly related to behavioral intention conditional upon efficacy beliefs. Third, efficacy beliefs significantly moderated the relation between risk perception and behavioral intention, but not between negative emotion and behavioral intention. Fourth, efficacy beliefs served as a moderator for the indirect effect of media exposure on behavioral intention via risk perception and negative emotion.

Predictors of environmental guilt, and its role as a mediator of the association between human-nature relation and pro-environmental behavior intentions

The aim of the two studies (N = 245 and N = 199) was to investigate the predictors of environmental guilt and analyze its mediating role between human-nature relationship and pro-environmental behavior intentions. In the first study, the connectedness to nature and social dominance orientation emerged as predictors of environmental guilt. In addition, guilt was an important mediator of the relationship between the connectedness and individual pro- environmental behavior. In the second study, guilt was predicted by gender, by locating the causes of the climate crisis in human activities rather than in the Earth's natural cycles, and by environmental nostalgia. In addition, guilt mediated the relationship between environmental nostalgia and willingness to engage in collective action and support systemic changes. Thus, environmental guilt seems to be an important factor in predicting a wide range of environmentally friendly activities: individual behavioral intentions, willingness to engage in collective actions, and support for systemic changes.

A Flexible Inventory of Survey Items for Environmental Concepts Generated via Special Attention to Content Validity and Item Response Theory

We demonstrate how many important measures of belief about the environmental suffer from poor content validity and inadequate conceptual breadth (dimensionality). We used scholarship in environmental science and philosophy to propose a list of 13 environmental concepts that can be held as beliefs. After precisely articulating the concepts, we developed 85 trial survey items that emphasized content validity for each concept. The concepts’ breadth and the items’ content validity were aided by scrutiny from 17 knowledgeable critics. We administered the trial items to 449 residents of the United States and used item response theory to reduce the 85 trial items to smaller sets of items for use when survey brevity is required. The reduced sets offered good predictive ability for two environmental attitudes (R2 = 0.42 and 0.46) and indices of pro-environmental behavior (PEB, R2 = 0.23) and behavioral intention (R2 = 0.25). The predictive results were highly interpretable, owing to their robust content validity. For example, PEB was predicted by the degree to which one believes nature to be sacred, but not by the degree of one’s non-anthropocentrism. Concepts with the greatest overall predictive ability were Sacredness and Hope. Belief in non-anthropocentrism had little predictive ability for all four response variables—a claim that previously could not have been made given the widespread poverty of content validity for items representing non-anthropocentrism in existing instruments. The approach described here is especially amenable to incremental improvement, as other researchers propose more informative survey items and potentially important concepts of environmental beliefs we overlooked.

Attitudes towards technology and their relationship with pro-environmental behaviour: Development and validation of the GATT scale

Both behavioural changes and technological advances are needed to mitigate climate change and solve environmental issues. While optimistic attitudes towards technology can help to increase public support for these technological advances, they could also attenuate the perceived necessity for pro-environmental behaviour change. This is problematic, as an overreliance on technological solutions at the cost of behavioural changes could decrease the probability of meeting established climate change mitigation targets. Across three studies in Switzerland (n1 = 552, n2 = 547, n3 = 549), we introduce and validate a 15-item survey instrument to measure general attitudes towards technology (GATT), namely techno-pessimistic, techno-optimistic, and techno-fix attitudes. Confirmatory factor analysis confirms the robustness of the instrument and models based on Item Response Theory indicate acceptable item fit indices. We then investigate how these different attitudes relate to pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Our results show that techno-fix attitudes are negatively associated with behavioural intentions, while techno-optimistic and techno-pessimistic attitudes are positively associated with behavioural intentions through an increase in climate change concern. To foster engagement in pro-environmental behaviour, we recommend strengthening techno-optimistic instead of techno-fix narratives, by highlighting the importance of individual behaviour changes for achieving climate change mitigation.

Environmental Communication as a Mediator in the Relationship between Environmental Concern and Attitude Towards Green Services in a Sequential Mediation Model: Evidences from Restaurant Industry

Tourism is a major economic activity of a nation but also contributes to about 5% of global emissions. Hospitality industry, a major arm of tourism industry, has initiated several measures for green sustainable practices. This research aims to understand the linkages between an altruistic mindset, environmental concern, environmental communication, green service attitude, and behavioural intentions through a sequential moderation model in the restaurant industry.
 A literature review was done to understand the theoretical construct of the proposed model and extant research for last 30 years to develop the consumer behaviour model. A modified model of Theory of Planned Behaviour was chosen as the base theory and through a review of the extant literature, a hypothetical model was created. A covariance-based structural equation model (CB SEM) was created to test the strength of relationships across the variables. The findings indicate that consumer environmental concern do not directly lead to positive attitude towards green services until it is mediated by environmental communication. This finding will help the green restaurants to adequately design suitable communication strategies to increase consumer awareness, positive attitudes and pro-environmental behavioural intentions.

An analysis of the factors influencing pro-environmental behavioural intentions on climate change in the university community

Universities play an essential role in promoting economic prosperity, social welfare and environmental protection through education and research. However, discrepancies have been pointed out between what consumers express about their environmental concerns and their environmental behaviour is, thus posing a challenge for the effective adaptation and mitigation of climate change. The purpose of this study is to analyse the sequence ‘beliefs-attitudes-behaviours’ applying the Theory of Planned Behaviour to the context of the university community. To achieve this objective, the hypothesised relations are tested using Partial Least Squares structural equation modeling in a sample of 1991 responses from students and staff at nine Latin American universities. Results show that beliefs and attitudes positively influence intrinsic motivation towards participation in actions related to climate change, and this, together with attitude, influences the pro-environmental behaviour of the university community. Neither extrinsic motivations or individual pro-environmental behaviour do not influence conduct as a member of the community. Affiliation (student vs. employee) moderates some of these relationships. A series of implications for university administrators (e.g., actions oriented towards raising awareness, identification of suitable incentives) are inferred to promote the participation of the community members in pro-environmental actions.

Exposure to Climate Change Information on Affect and Pro-Environmental Behavioural Intentions: A Randomised Controlled Trial

Climate change and its impact are being acknowledged through extensive media coverage. Knowledge gaps between mental health and climate change have been highlighted, which is an increasingly prevalent issue. Furthermore, mental health impacts such as climate anxiety and its implications on behaviour remain unclear. The study aimed to investigate the effect of climate change exposure on affect and pro-environmental behavioural intentions in a randomised controlled trial. An online survey was completed by 100 adult participants and included measures of affect and pro-environmental behavioural intentions pre- and post-exposure. Participants were randomly allocated to a group that saw a climate change video (n = 55) or a group that saw a non-climate change video (n = 45). The findings were that participants in the climate change group showed a significant increase in negative affect and pro-environmental behavioural intention scores post-video exposure compared to the non-climate change video group. This suggests that climate change video exposure negatively influences affect but also potentially increases the intention to act pro-environmentally. These findings have the potential to support policies and societal change; however, further investigation into the type of contents, actual behaviour change, and impacts on diverse populations (e.g., minority groups) is needed.

Communicating Norms to Increase Food Delivery Customers’ Sustainable Waste Management Behaviors

This study examines the influences of norms on food delivery customers’ pro-environmental behavioral intentions, which ultimately affect sustainable waste management behaviors (SWMBs). First explored were the effects of several types of norms, including personal and social norms (i.e., injunctive and descriptive norms), on intentions to perform SWMBs. Second were how personal norms mediate the effect of social norms on behavioral intentions and, lastly, the effect of behavioral intentions on food delivery customers’ SWMBs. A questionnaire was conducted with 601 customers of food deliver platforms in Bangkok, Thailand from mid-August to mid-September 2022. Path analysis was conducted to test how several types of norms affect intentions to perform SWMBs and how those intentions lead to SWMB performance. The results revealed that when the three types of norms were included in the analysis, personal norms had the greatest impact on behavioral intentions, whereas injunctive social norms had no significant direct impact. Personal norms also significantly mediated the effect of both descriptive and injunctive social norms on intentions, and intentions had a significant effect on SWMB performance among food delivery customers. However, the indirect impact of descriptive social norms on the intentions via personal norms was much weaker than that of injunctive social norms. This study implies that each type of norm has different ways to influence food delivery customers’ participation in SWMBs. To fully utilize advantages of norms in promoting SWMBs, communicating both social norms and personal norms could be very influential.

Ecological experiential learning and tourists' pro-environmental behavior intentions: The mediating roles of awe and nature connection

Due to the important role of tourists' behavior plays in marine protected areas (MPAs) and the increasing popularity of ecological experiential learning (EEL) journeys, this study aims to investigate whether and how EEL impact tourists' pro-environmental behavior (PEB) intentions through both emotional and cognitive pathways. To achieve this, four nature education trips with EEL content were organized, and PEB intentions of 228 tourists to MPAs were analyzed using surveys. The findings revealed that the low-effort PEB intentions of individuals under 24 years old were significantly lower compared to those of older tourists. Furthermore, EEL was positively associated with both low and high effort PEB intentions. The sense of awe acted as a mediator between EEL and low-effort PEB intentions, whereas nature connection was found to mediate the relationship between EEL and both low and high-effort PEB intentions. This study contributes to the growing body of research on the drivers of tourists PEB and provides a theoretical framework for promoting PEB intentions in MPAs.’’’’

Hotels re-explored: Experience and influence of reciprocity and social normative appeals

In this paper we report two high-powered and pre-registered experiments, testing the robustness and conceptual development of reciprocity and social norm appeals. Both experiments assessed both psychological processes for complying with these appeals and pro-environmental behavioral intention in tourism settings. In Experiment 1 (N = 2004), participants reported lower psychological reactance levels after learning that the hotel engaged in resource conservation (i.e., indirect homeomorphic reciprocity). No statistically significant effect was obtained for either obligatory motivation, prosocial motivation, skepticism, or behavioral intentions to reuse hotel towels. Importantly, high baseline intention of reusing hotel towels might have limited the effect of appeals. Therefore, we targeted meat consumption in Experiment 2 (n = 2540). Results first showed stronger obligatory and prosocial motivation for all three reciprocity appeals, compared to the standard appeal. No statistically significant results were found for either reactance or skepticism. Finally, after learning that the hotel had made a financial contribution to an environmental organization (i.e., indirect heteromorphic reciprocity) participants showed reduced meat consumption intentions compared to the standard appeal. Overall, the results provide initial evidence for conceptually refining the norm of reciprocity to encourage pro-environmental behaviors and for understanding the underlying psychological processes.

항공기 이용객의 친환경 경영인식이 친환경 행동의도에 미치는 영향 : 규범활성화 모델(NAM)과 가치-태도-행동(VAB)모델 적용

항공기 이용객의 친환경 경영인식이 친환경 행동의도에 미치는 영향 : 규범활성화 모델(NAM)과 가치-태도-행동(VAB)모델 적용

The role of pandemic risk communication and perception on pro-environmental travel behavioral intention: Findings from PLS-SEM and fsQCA

This study examines how risk communication and risk perception related to the pandemic affect tourists' intention to engage in pro-environmental travel behavior. An online survey was conducted, yielding 449 valid responses. The data was analysed using Partial Lease Square – Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The results indicate that risk communication and cognitive risk perception significantly impact pro-environmental travel behavioral intention (PETBI). Although the output of PLS-SEM does not support the positive effect of affective risk perception on PETBI, the results of fsQCA support this relationship. Additionally, this study confirms the mediating role of cognitive risk perception between risk communication and PETBI. Environmental responsibility is found as a significant mediator between affective and cognitive risk perception and environmental moral obligation, while environmental concern is established as a significant mediator between cognitive risk perception and environmental moral obligation. Although social influence did not moderate the relationship between environmental moral obligation and PETBI, based on the results of the fsQCA, it can positively influence PETBI. These findings provide valuable insights for the tourism industry in China and other countries, enabling them to develop effective strategies to address risk communication and perception of the pandemic and promote pro-environmental travel behavior. Furthermore, the study offers theoretical and managerial implications for scholars and practitioners alike.

Understanding pro-environmental behavior in tourism: Developing an experimental model

Reducing tourism-related damage to the destination environment and enhancing tourists' pro-environmental behavior are important for tourist destinations. As an important factor in consumers' pro-environmental behaviors (PEB), the emotion of awe has attracted increasing attention in tourism research. This study investigates the relationship between tourists' experience of awe and their pro-environmental behavioral intentions (measured by high and low effort PEB) (Study 1, 2), as well as their actual PEB (measured by charitable donation) (Study 3), and how this relationship is mediated (moderated) by connectedness to nature (tourist destination) in China. The results demonstrated a positive correlation between awe, connectedness to nature, and pro-environmental behavioral intention (Study 1). Connectedness to nature mediates the relationship between awe experience and pro-environmental behavioral intention (Study 2). Meanwhile, tourists report different feelings of awe and pro-environmental behavior for different types of tourism destinations. Specifically, the indirect impact of awe experience in religious scenic spots on tourists’ pro-environmental behavior was greater than that in natural scenic spots (Study 3). Finally, the comprehensive framework developed here can be implemented by destination managers and tourism operators to improve the competitiveness of the Chinese tourist destinations.

Making memories that matter: how do different recollections of an Antarctic tourism experience impact future conservation behavior?

Antarctic tourism is increasing and diversifying leading to different types of experiences and memories. While the journey is considered a once-in-a-lifetime experience, little empirical research exists to understand memories’ formation and their influence on pro-environmental behavior intentions (PEBI). To explore these relationships, we used a mixed-method approach to analyze surveys collected from Antarctic tourists during 2019-2020. We identified two dimensions of memories that resulted in three distinct groups of tourists: the snapshot group likely to recall specific trip components, the reflective group likely to think and share about their experience, and the reflective & transformative group likely to indicate that their experience impacted them personally. We examined the relationships of these groups with experiential outcomes and PEBI. We found significant positive relationships, with the strongest outcomes in the reflective & transformative memory group. Our results suggest that tour operators have been effective at enhancing public awareness and conservation concerns by triggering reflective memories; however, there is still a need to effectively cultivate transformative memories. Through this exploratory research, we offer insights into specific actions that operators, guides, and travelers might consider for maximizing the memory-making experience and inspiring tangible outcomes regarding Antarctic conservation which might also translate into other tourism contexts.