A Study of the Mechanism of Environmental Education and Awe on Tourists' Pro-Environmental Behavior

Abstract

This study investigates how amalgamation of environmental education and awe influences pro-environmental behavior through the formulation of two models: Model A, which focuses on environmental education, and Model B, which emphasizes awe. Using 300 survey responses and PLS-SEM, this study assesses these models in China's Jinggangshan Scenic Area. It finds that these two approaches effectively promote pro-environmental behaviors among tourists by integrating emotional engagement with environmental education. Model B, dominated by awe, exhibits higher explanatory power. Awe and the “Need for Accommodation” can directly foster pro-environmental behaviors among tourists, as well as through the intermediary function of environmental education. The “Appraisal of Vastness” largely exerts a direct impact through awe and the sequential process of environmental education. This study provides a cognitive-behavioral framework that incorporates environmental education and sensations of awe for enhanced elucidation. This study's findings demonstrate that hard/passive environmental education holds substantial importance in military historical sites and offers practical assistance.