Solastalgia and public environment-friendly behaviors in the urbanization context

Abstract

Incorporating broader health determinants (e.g., solastalgia) into Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been recommended to better understand its social impacts. Whether such negative feelings prompt positive responses (e.g., environment-friendly behaviors) among residents has received limited attention and remains a subject of debate. The present work, therefore, examines the relationship between perceived environmental risks, solastalgia, internal environmental locus of control, and public environment-friendly behaviors, particularly in the context of urbanization-induced environmental risk perception. Valid data from 702 residents were analyzed through structural equation modeling. Findings confirmed that, perceived environmental risks due to urbanization are positively associated with public environment-friendly behaviors through the chain mediating roles of solastalgia and internal environmental locus of control. The study thus validated a shortened solastalgia scale in the urbanization context through psychometric analysis and contributes to the Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) and the Attribution Theory framework. Specifically, it highlights the importance of considering locus of control from Attribution Theory when predicting individuals' protection motivation in response to perceived risks, reflecting both threat appraisal and coping appraisal as emphasized in PMT. Moreover, the findings revealed significant age differences in feelings of solastalgia, with older participants reporting higher levels of solastalgia. Gender differences were also observed, with men reporting significantly greater engagement in public environment-friendly behaviors than women. These findings offer practical implications for designing interventions that prioritize human well-being and promote sustainable behaviors. They also provide insights for policymakers seeking to enhance public acceptance of environmental policies.