Promotive-mountain and preventive-ocean: The interactive effect of natural environment and regulatory focus on green consumption

초록

Although nature exposure can promote pro-environmental behavior, the distinct effects of mountains and oceans on green consumption remain underexplored. Building on research linking mountains with aspiration and achievement and oceans with caution and risk avoidance, this work examines how these associations interact with regulatory focus to shape green advertising effectiveness. A pretest (N = 205) confirmed that mountains align with promotion and oceans with prevention. Study 1 (N = 4969) analyzed green Kickstarter campaigns, showing that campaigns incorporating mountain-related elements in their text and images were more successful when paired with promotion-focused framing, whereas those incorporating ocean-related elements were more successful when paired with prevention-focused framing. Three laboratory experiments further tested these effects. Study 2 (N = 205) found that mountain-themed green advertisements were more persuasive for promotion-focused individuals and ocean-themed ads for prevention-focused individuals, mediated by processing fluency. Study 3 (N = 208) replicated these effects using manipulated imagery and regulatory focus, identifying environmental self-efficacy-a consumer's confidence in their ability to contribute positively to the environment-as an additional mediator. Study 4 (N = 204) integrated these pathways, demonstrating that regulatory fit enhances fluency, which in turn strengthens environmental self-efficacy and ultimately increases advertising effectiveness, including willingness to pay.

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