How does COVID-19 emergency cognition influence public pro-environmental behavioral intentions? An affective event perspective

Abstract

Social impacts and serious damages caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in public introspection on the issue of ecological environmental protection. However, whether the public cognition of COVID-19 can promote pro-environmental behavioral intentions (PEBI) has not yet been determined; this is crucial for studying the ecological significance of the pandemic. Based on the affective events theory (AET), this study investigated the mechanism by which COVID-19 emergency cognition influences public PEBI. Following an analysis of 873 public questionnaires, the results reveal that public cognition of COVID-19 emergency can significantly promote PEBI. Among them, the effect of emergency coping is stronger than that of emergency relevance. Besides, the positive and negative environmental affective reactions aroused by COVID-19 pandemic play a mediating role between the emergency cognition and PEBI. Moreover, the positive environmental affective reactions show a stronger positive effect on household-sphere PEBI. However, the negative environmental affective reactions are more prominent in promoting public-sphere PEBI. This research aims to bridge a research gap by establishing a link between COVID-19 pandemic and PEBI. The findings can provide useful recommendations for policymakers to find the opportunity behind the COVID-19 emergency to promote public PEBI.

Does Social Risk Amplification Theory Explain the Resistance to COVID-19 Geo-Localization Applications?

“…This outcome also is in line with the theory of affective events, which assumes that affective reactions activated by event cognitions can be a significant force impacting people's attitudes. Indeed, affective reactions play an important role and are a result of cognitive states represented here by the perceived risk [14], [11].…”

“…According to this theory, affective reactions have a noteworthy mediating effect on the link between cognitive states and subsequent behavior [14]. Thus, they are stimulated by cognitions of an event [14], [11], which is appraised in this research by the perceived risk resulting from media exposure. Using this theory, we expect that those reactions are affected by the awareness of the dangerous situation based on social media exposure.…”

“…Affective reactions are represented by emotions and moods which are stimulated by events and environments [10], [11]. They can be positive, when individuals feel enthusiasm, joy, pleasure or other types of positive feelings.…”

“…Affective reactions to pandemics have been considered by two theories: SARF [2], and the affective events theory [11].…”

“…In the context of a pandemic, the main objective of organizations and governments is to influence their population to adopt preventive behaviors like staying home, wearing masks, avoiding gatherings and crowds, and using geo-localization and social distancing applications. A theoretical support for the impact of affective reactions on preventive behaviors stems from the affective events theory for which affective reactions induced by important event, via cognitive appraisals, influence people's behaviors [14], [11].…”