The association of biospheric values, environmental risk perception, and knowledge of environmental policies with pro-environmental behavioral intentions: the comparison across educational groups in China.
- 1School of Political Science and Public Administration, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- 2School of Political Science and Public Administration, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China. [email protected].
Abstract
Understanding the psychological processes that motivate individuals to engage in pro-environmental action is important. This study examines how three distinct psychological pathways-biospheric values (value-based motivation), environmental risk perception (affective risk appraisal), and knowledge of environmental policies (cognitive competence)-are associated with pro-environmental behavioral intentions, and how these relationships differ across educational attainment. Respondents were classified into less-educated, moderately educated, and highly educated groups, and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. The results show that biospheric values and knowledge of environmental policies are significantly associated with pro-environmental intentions only among the less- and moderately educated groups. However, environmental risk perception is not significantly associated with intentions in any group. The psychological pathways leading to pro-environmental engagement are not uniform but differentiated by education. The study highlights the importance of tailoring environmental communication and education strategies to distinct motivational and cognitive profiles, offering theoretical and practical implications for promoting sustainable behavior in rapidly developing societies.
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BibTeX
@article{tien2026association,
title = {{The association of biospheric values, environmental risk perception, and knowledge of environmental policies with pro-environmental behavioral intentions: the comparison across educational groups in China.}},
author = {Yun-Hsiang Tien and Jingchi Huang},
journal = {BMC public health},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12889-026-28681-7},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928135},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The association of biospheric values, environmental risk perception, and knowledge of environmental policies with pro-environmental behavioral intentions: the comparison across educational groups in China.
AU - Yun-Hsiang Tien
AU - Jingchi Huang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/29
JO - BMC public health
DO - 10.1186/s12889-026-28681-7
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42928135
AB - Understanding the psychological processes that motivate individuals to engage in pro-environmental action is important. This study examines how three distinct psychological pathways-biospheric values (value-based motivation), environmental risk perception (affective risk appraisal), and knowledge of environmental policies (cognitive competence)-are associated with pro-environmental behavioral intentions, and how these relationships differ across educational attainment. Respondents were classified into less-educated, moderately educated, and highly educated groups, and hierarchical regression analyses were conducted. The results show that biospheric values and knowledge of environmental policies are significantly associated with pro-environmental intentions only among the less- and moderately educated groups. However, environmental risk perception is not significantly associated with intentions in any group. The psychological pathways leading to pro-environmental engagement are not uniform but differentiated by education. The study highlights the importance of tailoring environmental communication and education strategies to distinct motivational and cognitive profiles, offering theoretical and practical implications for promoting sustainable behavior in rapidly developing societies.
SN - 1471-2458
ER -