The Effect of Place Attachment on Pro-Environmental Behaviors: The Mediating Role of Environmental Pollution Anxiety

Place attachment refers to the cognitive, emotional and behavioral connection between people and place. From the affection-driven perspective, place attachment leads people to a stronger protective attitude towards the place. This study explored the effect of place attachment on pro-environmental behavior and tested the mediating role of environmental pollution anxiety, aiming to work out the internal promoting mechanism of pro-environmental behavior. Relevant data were collected in the form of online questionnaires, and 298 valid responses were finalized. The results showed that: ① Affective attachment had a significantly positive influence on pro-environmental behaviors in both the public and private dimensions; place identity, place dependence and social bonding had no significant effect on pro-environmental behaviors in both dimensions. ② Environmental pollution anxiety played a significant mediating role. The higher the level of place attachment people had, the less environmental pollution anxiety they produced, and the more likely they were to engage in pro-environmental behaviors. The findings suggest that place attachment and environmental pollution anxiety play important roles in promoting pro-environmental behaviors. The strategy of promoting pro-environmental behaviors should focus on the establishment of positive emotional connection between people and place, while high anxiety about environmental pollution is not conducive to the promotion of pro-environmental behaviors.