IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v18y2021i12p6477-d575409.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Environmental Aesthetic Value Influences the Intention for Moral Behavior: Changes in Behavioral Moral Judgment

Author

Listed:
  • Chenjing Wu

    (School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China)

  • Xianyou He

    (School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
    Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
    Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
    Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China)

Abstract

The environment affects moral behavior. Previous research found that a beautiful environment leads to pro-social behavior, which is related to behavioral intention. However, the effect of environmental aesthetic value on immoral and moral behavior remains unclear. Therefore, in the present study, we explored the effect of environmental aesthetic value on behavioral intention and its possible mechanisms. We conducted four experiments. Experiment 1 adopted the priming paradigm and IAT paradigm to explore the relationship between environmental aesthetic value and behavioral intention. It used photographs of the environment as priming stimuli and scene drawings of behavior as target stimuli. The results showed that participants had a higher intention to engage in moral behavior in an environment with a high aesthetic value, and a lower intention to engage in immoral behavior, compared to in an environment with a low aesthetic value. Similarly, an environment with a low aesthetic value was related to immoral behavior. Experiment 2 further explored the possible mechanism for the above results: changes in moral judgment. The results showed that moral judgment in different environments may lead to different behavioral intentions. The current study extends prior research by demonstrating the effect of environmental aesthetic value on behavioral intention and moral judgment, and good knowledge about the relationship between environmental aesthetic value and moral behavior. In addition, it provides a new hypothesis for the relationship between environment and behavior according to the results of the environment–behavior matching hypothesis, which can provide a new perspective on moral education.

Suggested Citation

  • Chenjing Wu & Xianyou He, 2021. "Environmental Aesthetic Value Influences the Intention for Moral Behavior: Changes in Behavioral Moral Judgment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-16, June.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:12:p:6477-:d:575409
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/12/6477/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/12/6477/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rustichini, Aldo & Villeval, Marie Claire, 2014. "Moral hypocrisy, power and social preferences," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 107(PA), pages 10-24.
    2. Hongxia Li & Xue Wang & Yafei Guo & Zhansheng Chen & Fei Teng, 2019. "Air Pollution Predicts Harsh Moral Judgment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(13), pages 1-14, June.
    3. Chui, Celia & Kouchaki, Maryam & Gino, Francesca, 2021. "“Many others are doing it, so why shouldn't I?”: How being in larger competitions leads to more cheating," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 164(C), pages 102-115.
    4. Kahn, Barbara E & Isen, Alice M, 1993. "The Influence of Positive Affect on Variety Seeking among Safe, Enjoyable Products," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 20(2), pages 257-270, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Yanfei Zhu & Yuli Wang & Ying Li & Xiaoxi Du & Qi Guo & Mo Chen & Yun Lin, 2022. "The Construction of Image Reference Points and Text Appeals Information Tailoring in Promoting Diners’ Public Environment Maintenance Behavior Intention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-18, November.
    2. Xiaojia Liu & Xi Chen & Yan Huang & Weihong Wang & Mingkan Zhang & Yang Jin, 2023. "Landscape Aesthetic Value of Waterfront Green Space Based on Space–Psychology–Behavior Dimension: A Case Study along Qiantang River (Hangzhou Section)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(4), pages 1-22, February.
    3. Huie Li & Chang You & Jin Li & Mei Li & Min Tan & Guanfei Zhang & Yiping Zhong, 2022. "Influence of Environmental Aesthetic Value and Anticipated Emotion on Pro-Environmental Behavior: An ERP Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(9), pages 1-18, May.
    4. Chenjing Wu & Fuqun Liang & Xiaoling Liang & Chuangbing Huang & Hua Wang & Xianyou He & Wei Zhang & Don Rojas & Yan Duan, 2021. "Spacious Environments Make Us Tolerant—The Role of Emotion and Metaphor," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(19), pages 1-17, October.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Simona Šarotar Žižek & Matjaž Mulej & Sonja Treven, 2010. "Requisite Holism Of Individuals As A Precondition For The Humankind’S Way Out From The 2008- Crisis," Analele Stiintifice ale Universitatii "Alexandru Ioan Cuza" din Iasi - Stiinte Economice (1954-2015), Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 57, pages 399-419, november.
    2. Gantner, Anita & Horn, Kristian & Kerschbamer, Rudolf, 2016. "Fair and efficient division through unanimity bargaining when claims are subjective," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 56-73.
    3. Ubeda, Paloma, 2014. "The consistency of fairness rules: An experimental study," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 88-100.
    4. Yuval Heller & Eyal Winter, 2020. "Biased-Belief Equilibrium," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 12(2), pages 1-40, May.
    5. Marie Claire Villeval, 2019. "Comportements (non) éthiques et stratégies morales," Revue économique, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 70(6), pages 1021-1046.
    6. Baxendale, Shane & Macdonald, Emma K. & Wilson, Hugh N., 2015. "The Impact of Different Touchpoints on Brand Consideration," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 91(2), pages 235-253.
    7. Steven J. Stanton & Crystal Reeck & Scott A. Huettel & Kevin S. LaBar, 2014. "Effects of induced moods on economic choices," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 9(2), pages 167-175, March.
    8. Timo Ehrig & Jaison Manjaly & Aditya Singh & Shyam Sunder, 2022. "Adaptive Rationality in Strategic Interaction: Do Emotions Regulate Thinking About Others?," Strategy Science, INFORMS, vol. 7(4), pages 330-349, December.
    9. Miha Dominko & Miroslav Verbič, 2022. "The effect of subjective well‐being on consumption behavior," Journal of Consumer Affairs, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(2), pages 876-898, June.
    10. Mohan, Geetha & Sivakumaran, Bharadhwaj & Sharma, Piyush, 2012. "Store environment's impact on variety seeking behavior," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 19(4), pages 419-428.
    11. repec:cup:judgdm:v:10:y:2015:i:2:p:191-197 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Traub, Stefan & Schwaninger, Manuel & Paetzel, Fabian & Neuhofer, Sabine, 2023. "Evidence on need-sensitive giving behavior: An experimental approach to the acknowledgment of needs," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    13. Wu, Pei-Hsun & Kao, Danny Tengti, 2011. "Goal orientation and variety seeking behavior: The role of decision task," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 65-72, February.
    14. Davis, Mark A., 2009. "Understanding the relationship between mood and creativity: A meta-analysis," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 25-38, January.
    15. Wen Liu & Guosheng Han & Xiangzi Yan & Xuan Zhang & Guangjie Ning & Armigon Ravshanovich Akhmedov & William Cannon Hunter, 2021. "The Impact of Mental Health Status on Health Consumption of the Elderly in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-17, June.
    16. Rodriguez-Lara, Ismael, 2016. "Equity and bargaining power in ultimatum games," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 130(C), pages 144-165.
    17. Verbeke, W.J.M.I. & Belschak, F.D. & Bagozzi, R.P., 2004. "The Adaptive Consequences of Pride in Personal Selling," ERIM Report Series Research in Management ERS-2004-012-MKT, Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM), ERIM is the joint research institute of the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University and the Erasmus School of Economics (ESE) at Erasmus University Rotterdam.
    18. Braun-LaTour, Kathryn A. & Puccinelli, Nancy M. & Mast, Fred W., 2007. "Mood, information congruency, and overload," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 60(11), pages 1109-1116, November.
    19. Anastasiya Pocheptsova & Francine Espinoza Petersen & Jordan Etkin, 2014. "Two birds, one stone? Positive mood makes products seem less useful for multiple-goal pursuit," ESMT Research Working Papers ESMT-14-06, ESMT European School of Management and Technology.
    20. Bicchieri, Cristina & Dimant, Eugen & Gächter, Simon & Nosenzo, Daniele, 2022. "Social proximity and the erosion of norm compliance," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 59-72.
    21. Aydinli, Aylin & Gu, Yangjie & Pham, Michel Tuan, 2017. "An experience-utility explanation of the preference for larger assortments," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 746-760.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:12:p:6477-:d:575409. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.