How anticipated positive and negative emotions influence pro-environmental behavior via environmental attitudes
BackgroundAnticipated emotions are important predictors of pro-environmental behavior within the extended theory of planned behavior. However, their mechanisms need further exploration through emotion theories. This study applies Affective Events Theory (AET), a framework originally developed to exp...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-08-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1625619/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849239459310075904 |
|---|---|
| author | Xueting Niu Xueting Niu Menghan Li Menghan Li Zhenhe Sun Zhenhe Sun He Li He Li |
| author_facet | Xueting Niu Xueting Niu Menghan Li Menghan Li Zhenhe Sun Zhenhe Sun He Li He Li |
| author_sort | Xueting Niu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundAnticipated emotions are important predictors of pro-environmental behavior within the extended theory of planned behavior. However, their mechanisms need further exploration through emotion theories. This study applies Affective Events Theory (AET), a framework originally developed to explain emotional influences on behavior in workplace settings and more recently extended to the context of pro-environmental behavior, to examine how anticipated positive and negative emotions influence pro-environmental behavior, with environmental attitudes serving as a mediator.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted to measure anticipated positive and negative emotions, environmental attitudes, pro-environmental behavior, and demographic variables. A total of 500 questionnaires were randomly distributed via the Credamo online platform, yielding 442 valid responses.Results and conclusionBoth anticipated positive and negative emotions positively influence pro-environmental behavior, with environmental attitudes mediating these effects. Specifically, anticipated positive emotions not only exert a direct impact on pro-environmental behavior but also indirectly influence it through environmental attitudes. In contrast, anticipated negative emotions affect pro-environmental behavior exclusively through the mediating role of environmental attitudes. The direct effect of anticipated positive emotions may reflect the approach-oriented motivational function of positive emotions. Meanwhile, the indirect effects of both types of emotions through environmental attitudes suggest that anticipated emotions promote pro-environmental behavior by influencing individuals’ perceptions of the human–environment relationship. These findings significantly advance our understanding of the emotional mechanisms underlying pro-environmental behavior and offer valuable implications for designing emotion-based interventions aimed at fostering environmentally responsible actions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-55f129502d2c4105821f4e7cbf078427 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-55f129502d2c4105821f4e7cbf0784272025-08-20T04:00:56ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-08-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.16256191625619How anticipated positive and negative emotions influence pro-environmental behavior via environmental attitudesXueting Niu0Xueting Niu1Menghan Li2Menghan Li3Zhenhe Sun4Zhenhe Sun5He Li6He Li7School of Public Administration, Northwest University, Xi’an, ChinaSchool of Emergency Management, Northwest University, Xi’an, ChinaSchool of Public Administration, Northwest University, Xi’an, ChinaSchool of Emergency Management, Northwest University, Xi’an, ChinaSchool of Public Administration, Northwest University, Xi’an, ChinaSchool of Emergency Management, Northwest University, Xi’an, ChinaSchool of Public Administration, Northwest University, Xi’an, ChinaSchool of Emergency Management, Northwest University, Xi’an, ChinaBackgroundAnticipated emotions are important predictors of pro-environmental behavior within the extended theory of planned behavior. However, their mechanisms need further exploration through emotion theories. This study applies Affective Events Theory (AET), a framework originally developed to explain emotional influences on behavior in workplace settings and more recently extended to the context of pro-environmental behavior, to examine how anticipated positive and negative emotions influence pro-environmental behavior, with environmental attitudes serving as a mediator.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was conducted to measure anticipated positive and negative emotions, environmental attitudes, pro-environmental behavior, and demographic variables. A total of 500 questionnaires were randomly distributed via the Credamo online platform, yielding 442 valid responses.Results and conclusionBoth anticipated positive and negative emotions positively influence pro-environmental behavior, with environmental attitudes mediating these effects. Specifically, anticipated positive emotions not only exert a direct impact on pro-environmental behavior but also indirectly influence it through environmental attitudes. In contrast, anticipated negative emotions affect pro-environmental behavior exclusively through the mediating role of environmental attitudes. The direct effect of anticipated positive emotions may reflect the approach-oriented motivational function of positive emotions. Meanwhile, the indirect effects of both types of emotions through environmental attitudes suggest that anticipated emotions promote pro-environmental behavior by influencing individuals’ perceptions of the human–environment relationship. These findings significantly advance our understanding of the emotional mechanisms underlying pro-environmental behavior and offer valuable implications for designing emotion-based interventions aimed at fostering environmentally responsible actions.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1625619/fullanticipated emotionspro-environmental behaviorenvironmental attitudestheory of planned behavioraffective events theory |
| spellingShingle | Xueting Niu Xueting Niu Menghan Li Menghan Li Zhenhe Sun Zhenhe Sun He Li He Li How anticipated positive and negative emotions influence pro-environmental behavior via environmental attitudes Frontiers in Psychology anticipated emotions pro-environmental behavior environmental attitudes theory of planned behavior affective events theory |
| title | How anticipated positive and negative emotions influence pro-environmental behavior via environmental attitudes |
| title_full | How anticipated positive and negative emotions influence pro-environmental behavior via environmental attitudes |
| title_fullStr | How anticipated positive and negative emotions influence pro-environmental behavior via environmental attitudes |
| title_full_unstemmed | How anticipated positive and negative emotions influence pro-environmental behavior via environmental attitudes |
| title_short | How anticipated positive and negative emotions influence pro-environmental behavior via environmental attitudes |
| title_sort | how anticipated positive and negative emotions influence pro environmental behavior via environmental attitudes |
| topic | anticipated emotions pro-environmental behavior environmental attitudes theory of planned behavior affective events theory |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1625619/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xuetingniu howanticipatedpositiveandnegativeemotionsinfluenceproenvironmentalbehaviorviaenvironmentalattitudes AT xuetingniu howanticipatedpositiveandnegativeemotionsinfluenceproenvironmentalbehaviorviaenvironmentalattitudes AT menghanli howanticipatedpositiveandnegativeemotionsinfluenceproenvironmentalbehaviorviaenvironmentalattitudes AT menghanli howanticipatedpositiveandnegativeemotionsinfluenceproenvironmentalbehaviorviaenvironmentalattitudes AT zhenhesun howanticipatedpositiveandnegativeemotionsinfluenceproenvironmentalbehaviorviaenvironmentalattitudes AT zhenhesun howanticipatedpositiveandnegativeemotionsinfluenceproenvironmentalbehaviorviaenvironmentalattitudes AT heli howanticipatedpositiveandnegativeemotionsinfluenceproenvironmentalbehaviorviaenvironmentalattitudes AT heli howanticipatedpositiveandnegativeemotionsinfluenceproenvironmentalbehaviorviaenvironmentalattitudes |