Pro-environmental Intentions Research Articles

Perceived economic inequality inhibits pro-environmental engagement.

We currently inhabit an era marked by increasing economic inequality. This paper delves into the repercussions of perceived economic inequality on individual-level pro-environmental engagement and puts forth an explanatory mechanism. Across three empirical studies encompassing an archival investigation employing a nationally representative data set (Study 1), an online survey (Study 2) and an in-lab experiment (Study 3), we consistently unearth the inhibiting effect of perceived economic inequality on individuals' pro-environmental involvement, whether assessed through pro-environmental intentions or behaviours. Furthermore, our findings reveal that individuals' identification with their country elucidates these results. Specifically, perceived economic inequality diminishes individuals' national identification, encompassing their concern for the country's well-being and their sense of shared destiny with fellow citizens, thereby curbing their pro-environmental engagement. Additionally, we conduct a single-paper meta-analysis (Study 4), revealing small to moderate effect sizes for our key findings. Theoretical and practical implications stemming from these novel findings are discussed.

Shaping pro-environmental behavior through CSR messaging: Insights from the norm activation model

Encouraging consumers to adopt environmentally responsible behaviors is essential for achieving sustainability goals in hospitality and tourism. Service providers can leverage the norm activation model (NAM) and anthropomorphism to activate consumers’ personal norms and motivate pro-environmental actions. While NAM has been widely applied to pro-environmental intentions in tourism and hospitality, two critical research gaps remain (i) the role of message framing valence and (ii) the influence of anthropomorphism in shaping personal norms. We conducted two experiments where participants were exposed to CSR messages framed based on positive or negative consequences and anthropomorphic vs. non-anthropomorphic depictions of the Earth. Results showed that message framing alone did not significantly influence personal norms or pro-environmental behaviors. However, when positive consequence framing was combined with anthropomorphism, the effectiveness of the messages significantly increased, leading to greater pro-environmental intentions. These findings suggest that hospitality players can enhance the impact of their CSR messages by incorporating anthropomorphism and emphasizing positive outcomes.

The impact of virtual reality exposure on ocean connectedness and consumer responses to single-use packaging

Efforts to mitigate plastic packaging pollution include behavioural strategies aimed at shifting consumer perceptions and behaviour. Connectedness to nature, and more recently ocean connectedness, has been associated with pro-environmental intentions regarding single-use packaging. Two experimental studies were conducted to examine the potential of Virtual Reality (VR) technologies in promoting ocean connectedness and shifting consumer perceptions around packaging and its environmental qualities.To assess the influence of the VR content, in Study 1 (n = 94), participants were briefly exposed to an oceanic VR environment or an urban VR experience. Levels of ocean connectedness, both explicit and implicit, were measured after the VR manipulation using an Inclusion of Nature in Self (INS) measure and an Implicit Association Test (IAT). Participants then rated a variety of packaging options that were systematically manipulated in terms of type of raw material (e.g. plastic) and recyclability. The ocean VR condition showed higher levels of ocean connectedness on the adapted explicit INS measure, but not on the IAT measure, and there were no differences between the conditions in perceptions around packaging materials.Study 2 (n = 118) expanded on the previous study by adding a third condition: the participants were exposed to an oceanic VR environment, a built VR environment, or a non-VR task (cognitive task). The ocean VR condition showed higher levels of explicit ocean connectedness, as measured with the INS, than the other two conditions, but again there were no differences in implicit ocean connectedness. However, the ocean VR condition showed more critical perceptions around packaging overall in comparison to the built VR condition. We conclude that a brief immersive oceanic VR experience can influence explicit ocean connectedness, as measured with the INS, but its influence on packaging perceptions was more limited.

Cognitive, Affective, and Normative Drivers of Pro-Environmental Intentions Among Urban Forest Visitors – The IPMA Approach

This study investigates the cognitive, affective, and normative drivers of pro-environmental intentions among urban forest visitors, applying the Importance-Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) to identify key dimensions influencing sustainable behaviors. Drawing from existing literature, the research examines how environmental awareness, connectedness to nature, environmental empathy, place attachment, social norms, and moral norms shape pro-environmental intentions. Data were collected from 550 respondents in Bangkok using a self-administered online survey. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the relationships among these constructs, and IPMA was employed to assess their relative importance and performance. Results revealed that affective components, particularly place attachment and connectedness to nature, and normative factors like social norms, have a significant impact on pro-environmental intentions. Meanwhile, environmental awareness and moral norms showed limited influence. The findings highlight areas for improvement and provide practical implications for enhancing sustainable behaviors in urban forests.

Just a drop in the ocean? How lay beliefs about the world influence efficacy, perceptions, and intentions regarding pro-environmental behavior

Climate change is a large-scale problem that might leave people paralyzed by feeling too small to make a difference. Indeed, low response efficacy has been shown to be related to low pro-environmental behavior. There have been some attempts to increase people's efficacy. However, these have often been less successful than hoped. In the present research, we suggest that response efficacy is informed by people's more fundamental understanding of how the world functions (i.e., their lay beliefs about the world): whether they think the world is changeable or fixed. In three online experiments (on samples from Austria and the USA) we manipulated participants' lay beliefs about the world and measured their response efficacy and different indicators of intentions and perceptions related to pro-environmental behavior (such as climate change belief, perceiving norms as changing and feelings of working together in pro-environmental behavior). People who were led to adopt the belief that the world is changeable (i.e., an incremental belief) reported higher response efficacy regarding climate change. There was also some indication that they had stronger pro-environmental intentions, felt more like working together with others when engaging in pro-environmental behavior, and perceived norms around pro-environmental behavior as more dynamic. These results indicate that people's global understanding of the world plays a role in how they view and tackle large-scale social problems such as climate change. Supporting an incremental belief might foster an agentic approach to such problems and promote social change.

A Study on the Cognitive, Normative, and Affective Factors That Enhance the Pro-Environmental Behaviors of Consumers in the Context of Drone Food Delivery Services

The current study examined consumers’ sustainable behavior in the context of eco-friendly drone food delivery services. It thus focused on the cognitive triggers, normative factors, and affective triggers in forming pro-environmental intentions. This study more specifically developed a comprehensive framework that included cognitive triggers, which included environmental awareness, ascribed responsibility, biospheric value, environmental concern, and perceived effectiveness, personal norm, and affective triggers, which included positive anticipated emotion and negative anticipated emotion, subjective norm, and pro-environmental intentions. The 312 samples were randomly extracted through an online survey company in Korea, which targeted individuals who have dined out within the last six months. A theoretical model that included mediation and causal hypotheses was proposed and tested by conducting structural equation modeling. The data analysis results indicated that the four dimensions of the cognitive triggers, such as ascribed responsibility, biospheric value, environmental concern, and perceived effectiveness, positively affect personal norm, and consequently have a positive effect on positive anticipated emotion. In addition, subjective norm aids in regards to enhancing personal norm and pro-environmental intentions. The study consequently contributes knowledge that addresses the acknowledged research gap and provides practical suggestions for green marketing strategies in regards to promoting the services.

The effect of humanising nature.

Humans may have an innate need to affiliate with nature; this need has been termed biophilia. Humanising nature may connect to biophilia. An experimental design with 167 participants tested the hypothesis that a humanised description of the functioning of trees that focused on similarities between tree and human functioning would have a greater impact than a description of purely biological functions of trees. Participants randomly assigned to the humanising nature condition had higher mean scores for positive affect and empathy related to the target aspect of nature as well as greater pro-environmental intention. A MANOVA showed that the humanising nature condition had a significantly greater overall impact than the control condition. Positive affect and empathy were significantly different between groups. A serial mediation analysis found that positive affect and empathy connected the intervention with pro-environmental intention. Humanising nature holds promise as an approach to meeting biophilia needs. The findings may be globally relevant to the interaction of humans with nature.

Integrating Utopian Constructs: A Preliminary Investigation of Their Similarities and Predictive Power on Social Change Intentions

In a world facing significant planetary health challenges, the power of prospection—our capacity to envision and shape future possibilities—gains importance. Recently, three conceptualisations have been introduced to measure individuals’ inclination and ability to imagine desirable societal alternatives: utopian, transformative utopian impulse for planetary health, and environmental cognitive alternatives. We propose that these constructs, founded on different theoretical bases, each offer unique perspectives on a common process: the mental simulation of societies that positively deviate from the status quo, which we refer to as collective positive prospection. Data from a correlational survey (N = 485) show that these dimensions, while distinct, are highly interrelated, supporting their potential complementarity for understanding individual differences in collective positive prospection. Results also emphasise the importance of integrating these diverse dimensions to enhance the prediction of intentions, particularly pro-environmental intentions. Furthermore, our results suggest that the precision of prospection content, alongside its compatibility with behaviours, enhances predictive accuracy. Although preliminary, these findings provide valuable insights on both theoretical and practical levels, highlighting the importance of integrating diverse conceptualizations to better understand the functioning of collective positive prospection and suggesting that an integrative scale could be beneficial for future research in this area.

How online pro-environmental games affect users’ pro-environmental behavioural intentions? — Insights from Ant Forest

Information technology has created new ways for people to participate in environmental protection. Ant Forest, a pro-environmental game that actively encourages users to take part in offline environmental activities through online gaming content, has gained great popularity. However, research in this area is still limited, and the effect of playing such games on users' pro-environmental intentions in real life and the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Therefore, this research draws from Persuasive Systems Design model and value theory and examines the relationships between design features of Ant Forest, users' values and their pro-environmental behavioural intentions. The research model is empirically tested by survey data from 428 Ant Forest users. Results indicate that users' self-enhancement values, including utilitarian, hedonic and social values, and self-transcendence values, including altruistic and biospheric values, all positively affect their continued gameplay intentions and therefore affect their pro-environmental behavioural intentions. Additionally, the primary task support, social support, dialogue support, and system credibility of Ant Forest have varying positive effects on users’ perceived values.

The predictive power of environmental concern, perceived behavioral control and social norms in shaping pro-environmental intentions: a multicountry study

The predictive power of environmental concern, perceived behavioral control and social norms in shaping pro-environmental intentions: a multicountry study

From well-being to conservation: Understanding the mechanisms of community pro-environmental actions in Wuyishan national park

In the Anthropocene, fostering a more sustainable relationship between humans and nature is paramount. National parks, as successful global models of conservation, promote coexistence between humans and the natural world. This study examines the complex interplay between human well-being, connection to a national park, and pro-environmental actions among community residents. Employing a community survey within Wuyishan National Park in China, we collected and analyzed 285 valid questionnaires. Using a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), our findings reveal significant positive correlations between both objective and subjective well-being, place attachment, and pro-environmental intention and behavior. Our results further indicate that human well-being influences pro-environmental intention and behavior in complex ways, with place attachment acting as a mediating factor. These findings suggest that strengthening community-park bonds and enhancing residents' well-being are crucial strategies for promoting the sustainable conservation of protected areas.

Some Slice of Climate Anxiety … Is Good: A Cross-Sectional Survey Exploring the Relationship Between College Students Media Exposure and Perceptions About Climate Change

Climate change anxiety among young people of college age has become a prevalent topic, with debate on whether climate change anxiety is maladaptive or can motivate climate change action. Using a cross-sectional survey of 440 college students, the study investigated the relationships between college students’ climate anxiety, climate change media exposure, efficacy beliefs, and pro-environmental intentions. The findings revealed among other things, that climate anxiety had a significant curvilinear relationship with pro-environmental intentions with moderate anxiety predicting positive intentions and higher levels of anxiety were associated with negative intentions. Media exposure also positively predicted increased climate anxiety. Implications for climate change mitigation are discussed.

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.

The mediating role of pro-environmental attitude and intention on the translation from climate change health risk perception to pro-environmental behavior

Climate change is a serious environmental issue appearing in China. As a public service institution operating around the clock, the negative impact of hospitals on the environment is evident, promoting their workers’ pro-environmental behavior (PEB) through increasing climate change health risk perception (CHRP) is an effective method to protect the environment and achieve sustainable development. This study investigates how CHRP shapes pro-environmental attitude (PEA), pro-environmental intention (PEI), and pro-environmental behavior (PEB) among hospital workers. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) to determine the chain of causation from CHRP to PEB among hospital workers. The result shows that CHRP positively affects PEA and PEI, and PEI positively affects their PEB. In addition, although CHRP has no significant direct effect on PEB, it can play a crucial indirect effect through the mediating role of PEI. Moreover, the result of multiple regression shows that there are significant differences regarding PEA, PEI, and PEB.

When ‘fear factors’ motivate people to adopt electric vehicles in India: An empirical investigation of the protection motivation theory

Climatic extremes have caused immense harm around the world. Its harm in terms of the proportion of people and regions affected continues to increase every single day. Due to people's psychological distance from such climatic threats, active initiatives are not undertaken for mitigation of its source. Rather, localized short-term solutions are marking a new status-quo. This study examines if fear can be used as a motivator to nudge people away from the psychological distance and motivate them to adopt electric vehicles (EVs). While subsidies and tax rebates are popularly adopted means to boost demand and supply of EVs, monetary incentives are costly to sustain for developing nations, amidst their diverse priorities. Instead, use of motivators like ‘fear’ is cheap, yet not much explored. Using the protection motivation theory, the study interviews 1112 Indian individuals, to examine if fear can nudge EV adoption. Using structural equation modeling and mediation analysis, the study finds that the expectation of personal harm from climatic threats can nudge one to actively mitigate the source of threat. Various aspects of threat and the associated coping processes that need to be triggered sequentially to nudge the formation of a pro-environmental intention to adopt EVs are also outlined.

Climate Change Awareness and Pro-Environmental Intentions in Sports Fans: Applying the Extended Theory of Planned Behavior Model for Sustainable Spectating

(1) Background: This study explores the intricate relationship between sports and the environment, underscoring the influence of individual awareness of climate change consequences on fostering eco-friendly behavior among sports spectators. (2) Methods: The research introduces an extended theory of planned behavior model, incorporating climate change awareness. Analyzing data from 431 participants at US professional sports events, the study measured variables like climate change awareness and theory of planned behavior constructs. (3) Results: Sequential multiple mediation analysis validated the model, revealing that climate change awareness positively predicts the intention to reduce single-use plastics in the context of sport spectatorship. This relationship was partially mediated by theory of planned behavior variables, with subjective norms identified as a crucial explanatory factor. (4) Conclusions: The study’s originality lies in shedding light on pro-environmental intentions within sports spectatorship. Its insights provide foundational knowledge for researchers and organizations aiming to devise sustainability strategies in the realm of sports.

Communicating climate change as a generational issue: experimental effects on youth worry, motivation and belief in collective action

ABSTRACT Generations differ in their contribution to climate change and susceptibility to its effects. Contextualizing climate change as an intergenerational issue may therefore alter public engagement. We report a pre-registered, online experiment with a youth sample (N = 500, aged 16–24 years) in Ireland that tested whether highlighting generational differences in descriptions of climate change affects (i) worry about climate change, (ii) perception of others’ worry, (iii) belief in collective action and (iv) pro-environmental intentions. We also tested the effect of correcting young people’s misperceptions about how concerned older generations (aged 40+) are. The generational narrative amplified self-reported worry about climate change, from 5.42 (SD = 1.45) on a 7-point rating scale in the control group to 5.76 (SD = 1.18) among those who read the generational narrative (d = 0.26). Those who read the generational narrative also believed their close friends (M = 5.14, SD = 1.32) and other peers (M = 5.28, SD = 1.19) were more worried than those who read the control narrative (M = 4.85, SD = 1.48 and M = 5.03, SD = 1.19, respectively; ds = 0.20). There were no significant effects of contextualizing climate change as an intergenerational issue on perceived worry among older people, belief in collective action or pro-environmental intentions. Providing accurate information on older people’s worry, however, boosted belief in collective action, particularly for the majority who initially underestimated it (M = 4.22 out of 7, SD = 1.14 vs. M = 4.63, SD = 1.18, d = 0.36). The results have implications for communications with young people about climate change. Correcting underestimations of concern about climate change between socio-demographic subgroups may help to foster engagement. Policy highlights Communications that highlight generational differences in the causes and effects of climate change may be unhelpful; they increase worry among young people without motivating them to act. Most young people underestimate how worried older people are about climate change and this misperception correlates with belief that people are less likely to work together to mitigate climate change. Providing accurate information on how worried older people are boosts belief in collective action, but only among the majority of young people who underestimate it. Communications about climate change likely benefit from avoiding highlighting differences between socio-demographic subgroups and correcting misperceptions where they exist.

Communicating Climate Change in the Era of Anxiety: Testing a Double-Moderated-Mediation Model

ABSTRACT Research investigating the effectiveness of proximizing climate change, guided by Construal Level Theory (CLT), has produced mixed results regarding its ability to foster climate engagement. This study aimed to clarify these mixed findings by examining the roles of climate anxiety and efficacy perception as potential moderating factors. Using data from 1,045 adults, a double-moderated-mediation model was tested, focusing on the interplay between perceived psychological distance, construal level, climate anxiety, and efficacy perception. The results revealed that construal level fully mediated the relationship between perceived psychological distance and pro-environmental intention. Furthermore, the data showed that both climate anxiety and efficacy perception amplified this relationship. Specifically, participants with higher climate anxiety tended to construe psychologically closer climate risks more concretely and distant risks more abstractly. Participants with higher efficacy perception adopted more concrete, lower-level construals when viewing climate change as an imminent threat. However, when both climate anxiety and efficacy perceptions were considered, climate anxiety attenuated the influence of efficacy perception. The study concludes by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of these findings for enhancing the effectiveness of climate change communication.

Who is sharing green eWOM? Big data evidence from the travel and tourism industry

Although research has investigated the drivers of pro-environmental intentions, little research has adopted big data to understand the socio-demographic profile of customers who share electronic word-of-mouth (i.e., online reviews) about tourism services’ environmental practices (i.e., green eWOM). Our methodology includes a large sample of customers with different demographic characteristics and trip motivations, who shared green eWOM about different product types (496,813 hotel reviews, 129,455 airline reviews, and 22,373 reviews of tourist attractions). This sampling enables us to get an accurate picture of the customer segments who are sharing green eWOM. We used text analytics for data extraction (i.e., environmentally-related semantics), ANOVA tests, and ordinary least squares (OLS) regression for data analysis. Findings reveal that Gen Z Asian male customers traveling for business and staying at hotel chains are more likely to discuss sustainability practices in their reviews. The longitudinal analysis shows a steady increase in green eWOM for hotels and consumers are more often sharing green eWOM for tourist attractions, rather than hotels or airlines. Interestingly, green eWOM is associated with 5-star reviews and country of origin influences green eWOM of various travel and tourism services.

The impact of government support and farmers’ pro-environmental intention on water-saving irrigation techniques adoption: Evidence using propensity score matching

Abstract Agricultural water-saving irrigation (WSI) techniques becomes the main way to build drought resilience in rural areas. The effectiveness of government support in promoting the adoption of water-saving technologies is controversial. There is a research gap concerning farmers with different pro-environmental intentions to the adoption of water-saving behaviors under the influence of government support. This study is based on a survey in Yulin, Shaanxi, China, using 404 sample households. Pro-environmental intentions have been introduced into this paper by using the entropy weight method, and propensity score matching has been used to overcome the confounding between government support and farmers' adoption. Our findings reveal that farmers who received government support exhibit a significantly higher probability of adopting WSI techniques, ranging from 80 to 81.6%, representing a notable increase of 29.0–30.7% compared to those without government support. Furthermore, government support significantly affects farmers with weak pro-environmental intentions by 40.5%, but it does not have a significant impact on farmers with stronger pro-environmental intentions. These insights emphasize the significance of subsidies and advocate for an approach that tailors policies based on varying levels of pro-environmental intentions. This is particularly crucial considering that farmers with weaker intentions may be inclined to adopt the technology but face higher efficiency risks.