Impact of fear appeals on pro-environmental behavior and crucial determinants

This study examines the impact of various degrees of fear appeals of climate change on an individual's intention to engage in pro-environmental behavior, and how possible factors that influence an individual's intention to engage in pro-environmental behavior vary in different degrees of fear appeals of climate change. The results indicate that the participants who read the low-fear appeal text exhibit more evoked fearful emotion and have more intentions to engage in pro-environmental behavior than do those who read the high-fear appeal text. In addition, an individual's moral obligations play a crucial role in determining his or her intention to engage in pro-environmental behavior under both low-fear and high-fear appeal conditions. However, under high-fear appeal conditions, an individual's perception of collective efficacy plays a crucial role in determining his or her intention of engaging in pro-environmental behavior. The results of this study contribute to enhancing the intercultural validation of research on fear appeals applied to people's pro-environmental behavior in a collective Chinese cultural social context in response to global warming. In addition, the findings provide implications for applying fear appeals to encourage pro-environmental behavior.