When do individuals take action to protect the environment?——Exploring the mediating effects of negative impacts of environmental risk

Abstract

Environmental risks can result in varying degrees of negative impacts, which can be categorized into micro-level individual impacts and macro-level social and ecological impacts. While extensive research has shown that individuals take actions to protect the environment in the face of environmental risks, the mechanisms underlying this behavior have received insufficient attention, particularly regarding the negative impacts stemming directly from environmental conditions. This study aims to examine the discrepancies in pro-environmental awareness and behavior in response to adverse consequences of diverse environmental risks from a risk management perspective. Utilizing data from the 2021 Chinese General Social Survey (CGSS), we classified the negative impacts of environmental risks into two categories: individual and community levels. We investigated which specific negative impacts motivate individuals to develop environmental awareness and engage in pro-environmental behaviors. Our findings reveal that individuals are more likely to take action when faced with immediate and urgent individual-level negative impacts. Conversely, they are less inclined to act in response to long-term and seemingly minor community-level environmental risks. These insights enhance our understanding of the psychological mechanisms linking environmental risks to pro-environmental behaviors and underscore the importance of addressing negative impacts that may not appear serious in the present.