Yuqiang Zhang, Lin Dong
The findings reveal that solution-oriented narratives are significantly more effective than their problem-oriented counterparts in promoting PEBI. Mediation analysis further demonstrates that environmental self-efficacy partially mediates this relationship. In addition, moderated mediation analyses indicate that narrator moderates the effect of narrative strategy on environmental self-efficacy. The positive indirect effect of solution-oriented, relative to problem-oriented, narratives on PEBI through environmental self-efficacy was significant when the central government was the narrator but not when a local government was the narrator.
INTRODUCTION: This study addresses a key gap in climate communication research by examining the differential effects of problem-oriented versus solution-oriented climate narratives on pro-environmental behavioral intention (PEBI) and the underlying mechanisms.
METHODS: We conducted two online survey experiments (n1 = 524; n2 = 1,130) to systematically investigate the relationships among narrative strategy, environmental self-efficacy, narrator, and PEBI.
RESULTS: The findings reveal that solution-oriented narratives are significantly more effective than their problem-oriented counterparts in promoting PEBI. Mediation analysis further demonstrates that environmental self-efficacy partially mediates this relationship. In addition, moderated mediation analyses indicate that narrator moderates the effect of narrative strategy on environmental self-efficacy. The positive indirect effect of solution-oriented, relative to problem-oriented, narratives on PEBI through environmental self-efficacy was significant when the central government was the narrator but not when a local government was the narrator.
DISCUSSION: Results advance our understanding of how narratives shape PEBI and provide practical implications for designing more effective climate communication.