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The Impact of the Gain-Loss Frame on College Students’ Willingness to Participate in the Individual Low-Carbon Behavior Rewarding System (ILBRS): The Mediating Role of Environmental Risk Perception

Author

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  • Ani Qi

    (Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Zeyu Ji

    (Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Yuanchao Gong

    (Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

  • Bo Yang

    (Economy School, Zhengzhou University of Aeronautics, Zhengzhou 450015, China)

  • Yan Sun

    (Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

Abstract

Since Chinese households account for more than half of the country’s total carbon emissions, efforts focused on consumption will be key to reaching carbon reduction targets. The Individual Low-carbon Behavior Rewarding System (ILBRS) is an emerging mechanism in China that encourages the public to develop a low-carbon lifestyle and it is critical to look for various approaches to enhance the public’s willingness to participate in it. The framing effect has been widely used to study pro-environmental behavior as a low-cost nudge. We used an online questionnaire (N = 320) to investigate how framing information (loss and gain framing) influenced people’s willingness to participate in the ILBRS through the mediation of environmental risk perception. The results indicated that the public’s willingness to participate in the ILBRS under the loss frame was significantly higher than the gain frame. Furthermore, environmental risk perception played a mediating role in the proceedings. Based on our findings, the designers and promoters of ILBRS systems could employ loss-frame information to promote the public’s willingness to participate in the ILBRS and drive more people to live a low-carbon life in the process of mechanism construction, information communication, and operational promotion.

Suggested Citation

  • Ani Qi & Zeyu Ji & Yuanchao Gong & Bo Yang & Yan Sun, 2022. "The Impact of the Gain-Loss Frame on College Students’ Willingness to Participate in the Individual Low-Carbon Behavior Rewarding System (ILBRS): The Mediating Role of Environmental Risk Perception," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(17), pages 1-12, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:17:p:11008-:d:905569
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    1. Jia Wang & Yangli Gu & Haohang Xin & Xiaomei Wang, 2022. "Influence of Appeal Type and Message Framing on Residents’ Intent to Engage in Pro-Environmental Behavior," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(23), pages 1-27, November.
    2. Junhong Hao & Xialin Ye & Chenfei Yu & Jiayuan Liu & Yimin Ruan & Yingxin Zhang & Feng Hong & Dongyue Zhang, 2023. "A Novel Individual Carbon Emission Evaluation and Carbon Trading Model for Low-Carbon University Campuses," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(22), pages 1-17, November.
    3. Daniela Acquadro Maran & Matti Ullah Butt & Tatiana Begotti, 2023. "Pro-Environment Behaviors, Efficacy Beliefs, Perceived Individual and Social Norms: A Questionnaire Survey in a Sample of Young Adults From Pakistan," SAGE Open, , vol. 13(4), pages 21582440231, November.

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