Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Young Adults’ Intentions toward the Prevention of Microplastic Pollution in Taiwan: Examining Personality and Information Processing in Fear-Appeal Communication

A Taiwanese study examined how young adults' psychological reactance influenced their response to fear-based messaging about microplastic pollution. People with higher reactance were less persuaded by threat-focused communication and less likely to form pro-environmental intentions. The findings suggest tailoring anti-pollution campaigns to minimize defensive reactions.

2022 Sustainability 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Decoding derogation: The impact of environmental values and political ideology on the effect of persuasive message about recycle and reuse behaviors

Researchers examined how environmental values and political ideology influence reactions to persuasive messages about plastic pollution, finding that these personal belief systems shape message derogation in distinct ways that subsequently affect risk perception, self-efficacy, and individuals' intentions to recycle and reuse plastics.

2024 Risk Analysis 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Mediating and Moderating Factors Affecting Pro-environmental Decision-Making: A Spanish Study

Researchers investigated the mediating role of perceived responsibility and the moderating role of political ideology on pro-environmental decision-making in a Spanish population. The study found that perceived responsibility partially mediated the relationship between environmental concern and pro-environmental behavior, with political orientation moderating the strength of these effects.

2024 Australian Journal of Environmental Education
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Education and Perception on Vietnamese High School Students' Behaviors Regarding Plastic Waste : The Mediating Role of Attitude

A study in Vietnam analyzed how education and perception influence plastic waste behaviors among high school students, with environmental attitude serving as a mediating factor. The findings suggest that improving environmental knowledge and attitude formation is key to changing plastic disposal behaviors in young people.

2023
Article Tier 2

The impact of values and social norms on consumers’ intention to avoid cosmetics containing microplastics: The mediating role of risk perception and personal norm

This research examined how consumer risk perception of cosmetics containing microplastics, shaped by personal values and social norms, influences the intention to avoid such products. The model found that environmental concern and social norms were key drivers of avoidance behavior.

2025 UNICA IRIS Institutional Research Information System (University of Cagliari)
Article Tier 2

Self-reported behaviours and measures related to plastic waste reduction: European citizens’ perspective

Researchers analyzed Eurobarometer survey data on European attitudes toward plastic waste and found that while citizens recognize plastic pollution as a serious environmental problem, concern does not consistently translate into reduced plastic use behaviors, with women, younger adults, and higher-income respondents being most likely to act.

2023 Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Risk perception of differet environmental concerns

This study investigated how individuals perceive and prioritize different environmental risks including microplastics, air pollution, and climate change, using survey data to compare risk perception across demographic groups. The findings reveal that awareness of microplastic risks lags behind other environmental concerns.

2024 Open Science Framework
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Risk Perception on Microplastics Pollution in Drinking Water Sources

Researchers surveyed higher education students to assess their risk perception of microplastic pollution in drinking water sources and measured relationships between perception, concern, and behavioral intention to reduce plastic use. The study aimed to identify knowledge gaps and inform awareness campaigns targeting informed plastic reduction behavior among young adults.

2022 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Risk, efficacy, and the moderating role of policy effectiveness in microplastic reduction intentions

A survey study examined how perceived risk severity, vulnerability, self-efficacy, and response efficacy influence people's intentions to reduce microplastic use, finding that perceived policy effectiveness moderated the relationship between these beliefs and pro-environmental behavioral intentions.

2025 Asian Journal of Water Environment and Pollution
Article Tier 2

An empirical assessment of worry about microplastics among the Norwegian public

Researchers surveyed 699 Norwegian adults online about their familiarity with and worry about microplastics, along with risk perception components including controllability, threat level, and personal values. Women and older respondents reported higher worry, and those endorsing self-transcendence values showed greater concern, though these demographic and value associations became non-significant once risk perception variables were included in the regression model.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Youth and the Environment: Assessing Awareness, Attitudes, and Action

This study assessed environmental awareness, attitudes, and pro-environmental action among university students, investigating the gap between knowing about environmental issues and actually taking action. The research found that while students generally showed awareness of environmental problems including pollution, a significant disconnect persists between awareness and consistent environmentally responsible behavior.

2025 Journal of Digital Sociohumanities 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Explicitly and Implicitly Measured Valence and Risk Attitudes Towards Plastic Packaging, Plastic Waste, and Microplastic in a German Sample

This psychology study measured both explicit and implicit attitudes toward plastic packaging and microplastics in German consumers, finding that people simultaneously appreciate the convenience of plastic while expressing concern about pollution. The gap between attitudes and behavior helps explain why plastic consumption continues despite public concern about microplastics.

2021 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Who worries about microplastics? The relative importance of personal values and individual risk judgements / ¿A quién le preocupan los microplásticos? La importancia relativa de los valores personales y los juicios individuales de riesgo

Researchers surveyed nearly 700 people in Norway to understand what drives public worry about microplastic pollution. They found that personal values and individual risk perceptions were the strongest predictors of concern, more so than demographic factors or general environmental attitudes. The study suggests that communication strategies about microplastic risks should account for how people personally evaluate threats rather than relying solely on scientific information.

2024 PsyEcology Bilingual Journal of Environmental Psychology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

The value of multi-proxy experiments to study pro-environmental behavior

This methodological study argues that pro-environmental behavior research should use multiple proxy measures rather than relying on a single behavioral indicator, since different measures capture different dimensions of environmental action. The recommendation is relevant to studies assessing consumer responses to plastic pollution and waste reduction initiatives.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Knowledge of ecological concepts, environmental concern, and ecological behavior: A multiple correlation analysis

This education study examined the relationship between ecological knowledge, environmental concern, and pro-environmental behavior in students. Environmental education that increases knowledge about plastic pollution and microplastics is associated with greater concern and more sustainable behaviors.

2023 JPBI (Jurnal Pendidikan Biologi Indonesia) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Students’ Attitudes and Perceptions Towards Plastics and Microplastics Pollution: Implications for Vietnam

This Vietnamese study applied the Theory of Planned Behavior to survey students' attitudes and intentions regarding plastic and microplastic pollution. Attitude was the strongest predictor of pro-environmental behavioral intention (β=0.411), suggesting that awareness and attitude change through education are more effective levers than appeals to subjective norms.

2025 VNU Journal of Science Legal Studies
Article Tier 2

Exploring the psychological antecedents of private and public sphere behaviours to reduce household plastic consumption

Researchers surveyed 648 people to understand what psychological factors drive different plastic-reduction behaviors — switching to plastic-free products, political activism, and supporting policy. Personal moral norms predicted all three types of action, while feeling personally capable was the strongest driver of purchase decisions, suggesting that reducing plastic use requires addressing both values and practical barriers.

2022 Environment Development and Sustainability 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Education and Perception on Vietnamese High School Students' Behaviors Regarding Plastic Waste : The Mediating Role of Attitude

This is a duplicate record of a study examining how education and perception influence plastic waste behaviors among Vietnamese high school students, with attitude as a mediating factor. The findings underscore the role of environmental education in shaping responsible plastic disposal behavior.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring Community Resilience: The Joint Roles of Environmental Knowledge and Risk Perception in Pro-Environmental Behavior

A study examining pro-environmental behavior in community settings found that environmental knowledge and risk perception jointly moderated the gap between environmental intentions and actions, with their combined effect stronger than either variable alone in promoting both private and public pro-environmental behaviors.

2025 Buildings 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Public perception of microplastics pollution in Switzerland: Psychological distance, concern, and willingness to engage in mitigation activities

Researchers surveyed over 900 people in Switzerland to understand how the public perceives microplastic pollution and their willingness to take action. The study found that people perceive microplastics as a relatively close threat on most psychological dimensions, and that concern about the issue, particularly concern for nature, is a stronger predictor of willingness to engage in mitigation activities than psychological distance alone.

2026