Being moved enhances pro-environmental intentions: The mediating role of connectedness to nature

Abstract

Enhancing individuals’ behavioral intentions is crucial for addressing current environmental issues. To investigate the role of being moved, a positive self-transcendent emotion, in strengthening individuals’ pro-environmental intentions, we conducted five studies (N = 1271). The results showed that being moved was positively associated with individuals’ pro-environmental intentions (Studies 1 and 5). Being moved induced through recall tasks and videos effectively enhanced pro-environmental intentions (Studies 2, 3, and 4), and both being interpersonally moved and being moved by nature produced similar effects (Study 2). Notably, the effect of being moved on pro-environmental intentions was distinct from that of general positive emotions (Study 3). Furthermore, being interpersonally moved enhanced connectedness to nature (Study 4), which in turn mediated the association between being moved and pro-environmental intentions (Studies 4、5). These findings not only complement the connection expansion effect of being moved and enrich the emotional antecedents of pro-environmental intentions, but also reveal the internal mechanism of this relationship, thereby providing new insights into the link between being moved and pro-environmental intentions.