Factors affecting climate change mitigation behavior intention and behavior in Chinese teenagers

doi:10.12006/j.issn.1673-1719.2020.039

Abstract

Abstract:

It is crucial to conduct climate change education for teenagers so that they could appropriately deal with climate change issues in the coming future. To conduct effective climate change education, it requires determining the factors that affecting climate change mitigation behavior and the behavior intention. In this study, we did these analyses based on the theories of the climate change mitigation behavior and the behavior intention of teenagers. The questionnaires have been conducted with 1539 students from nine middle schools of three cities (in Xiamen, Shenzhen and Ningbo). Results indicated that Chinese teenagers situated at a medium level in climate change concern and climate change mitigation behavior, and a low level in climate change knowledge. The past behavior, self-efficiency and the climate change involvement provided significant explanations to students’ mitigation behavior intention. Climate change involvement and self-efficiency showed significant explanation to the climate change mitigation behavior. Furthermore, subjective knowledge of climate change and conscientiousness personality could positively promote climate change mitigation behavior. Based on these findings, more attention should be paid to enhance climate change involvement, knowledge of climate change and self-efficiency for Chinese teenagers in climate change education.

Key words: Climate change, Mitigation behavior, Behavior intention, Teenager

WANG Xue-Qi, CHEN Jin. Factors affecting climate change mitigation behavior intention and behavior in Chinese teenagers[J]. Climate Change Research, 2021, 17(2): 212-222.

Figures/Tables 5

Appendix Climate change questionnaire (to be continued)

Table 1 Demographic analysis of valid questionnaire

Fig. 1 Descriptive analysis of climate change attitudes and behaviors of adolescents (The number in the bar is the mean of each dimension and the error line is the standard deviation)

Table 2 Regression analysis between personality, demographic, attitude and mitigation behavior intention

Table 3 Regression analysis between personality, demographic, attitude and mitigation behavior

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