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The Influence of Place Attachment on Pro-Environmental Behaviors: The Moderating Effect of Social Media

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  • Jian Xu

    (School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan RD, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
    China Institute for Urban Governance, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 1954 Huashan RD, Xuhui District, Shanghai 200052, China
    Institute of Cultural Innovation and Youth Development, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan RD, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China)

  • Ruixia Han

    (School of Media and Communication, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan RD, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China
    Institute of Cultural Innovation and Youth Development, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 800 Dongchuan RD, Minhang District, Shanghai 200240, China)

Abstract

China is facing tremendous pressure to improve the environment. How to promote pro-environmental behaviors at the individual level is an important research topic. This study examines the relationship between social media usage, place attachment, and pro-environmental behavior based on a survey of 550 Chinese citizens. The results show that: (1) Place attachment and social media usage for environmental information acquisition have positive correlations with pro-environmental behaviors; (2) social media usage for environmental information acquisition moderates the relationship between place attachment and pro-environmental behaviors. Our survey also finds that social media play a more important role than traditional media in influencing pro-environmental behaviors. Our findings indicate that social media is changing the traditional relationship between place attachment and pro-environmental behavior. We should pay more attention to this positive role of social media and encourage citizens’ pro-environmental behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Jian Xu & Ruixia Han, 2019. "The Influence of Place Attachment on Pro-Environmental Behaviors: The Moderating Effect of Social Media," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-16, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:16:y:2019:i:24:p:5100-:d:297792
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Szu-Ju Wu & Eric Ng & Kai-Bo Lin & Yi-Hsin Cheng & Ben A. LePage & Wei-Ta Fang, 2023. "Influence of Landscape Preference and Place Attachment on Responsible Environmental Behavior—A Study of Taipei’s Guandu Nature Park Wetlands, Taiwan," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-16, November.
    2. Matteo Innocenti & Gabriele Santarelli & Gaia Surya Lombardi & Lorenzo Ciabini & Doris Zjalic & Mattia Di Russo & Chiara Cadeddu, 2023. "How Can Climate Change Anxiety Induce Both Pro-Environmental Behaviours and Eco-Paralysis? The Mediating Role of General Self-Efficacy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-10, February.
    3. Zanxin Wang & Saqib Ali & Ahsan Akbar & Farhan Rasool, 2020. "Determining the Influencing Factors of Biogas Technology Adoption Intention in Pakistan: The Moderating Role of Social Media," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-20, March.
    4. Ruixia Han & Jian Xu, 2020. "A Comparative Study of the Role of Interpersonal Communication, Traditional Media and Social Media in Pro-Environmental Behavior: A China-Based Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(6), pages 1-21, March.
    5. Meng Liu & Ze Shi & Zaisheng Zhang, 2024. "How Environmental Policy Perception and Social Media Use Impact Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Moderated Mediation Model Based on the Theory of Planned Behavior," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(17), pages 1-20, September.
    6. Ruixia Han & Yali Cheng, 2020. "The Influence of Norm Perception on Pro-Environmental Behavior: A Comparison between the Moderating Roles of Traditional Media and Social Media," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(19), pages 1-18, September.

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