How Message Framing and Presentation Affect Pro-Environmental Behavioral Intentions: A Dual-Pathway Model Perspective

Abstract

氣候變遷的負面影響能否減緩，取決於環境友善行為的實踐。本研究以集體行動之雙路徑模型為基礎，聚焦於負面情緒與效能感，藉以討論風險訊息的呈現與包裝如何能有效增進民眾的行為意圖。透過實驗法（N = 211），本研究發現將氣候變遷包裝成在地議題有助於增強相關性認知，而相關性的提升會導致較高的行動意願；民眾認為氣候變遷和自身相關後也會產生負面情緒，進而強化行動意願，此為情緒導向之因應路徑。另一方面，在風險訊息中提供行動建議能增進民眾的行動策略知識，間接提升各種效能感及行為意圖，此為問題導向之因應路徑。結果也指出負面情緒的作用對於具有低回應效能感、低集體效能感的民眾較為顯著，顯示效能感的作用可能會因情境而不同。

Whether the negative impact of climate change can be effectively mitigated depends heavily on degree of individual engagement in environmental-friendly behaviors. This study draws on the dual pathway model, which emphasizes the role of negative emotions and different forms of efficacy, to investigate how to facilitate mitigation actions. Through an experiment involving 211 people recruited at a large public university in northern Taiwan, this study found both emotion-focused coping and problem-focused coping to be possible pathways leading to mitigation actions related to climate change. Regarding emotion-focused coping, the findings indicate that framing climate change as a local issue increased its perceived relevance, which, in turn, stimulated negative emotions and behavioral intentions. On the other hand, providing action cues in messages increased knowledge of action strategies, and so triggered different forms of efficacy and behavioral intentions, a case of problem-focused coping. The results also indicate that negative emotions interacted with various forms of efficacy to shape intentions. The effect of negative emotions was stronger for people low in response efficacy and collective efficacy, suggesting the role of efficacy may not be monotonous. Implications of these findings are discussed.