AUTHOR=Hu Xinyu , Wu Chenyu , Wang Le 

TITLE=A study on the effects of virtual gaming environment stimuli on adolescents' environmental awareness and behavior: the mediating role of environmental trust

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Psychology

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1716373

DOI=10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1716373

ISSN=1664-1078

ABSTRACT=PurposeMotivating pro-environmental behavior among adolescents remains an ongoing challenge, and commercial digital games offer an emerging avenue to address this. Despite the immense potential of games, the underlying psychological mechanisms that translate virtual environmental stimuli into real-world actions remain poorly understood. This study constructs a model to examine these conversion pathways, thereby providing clear insights and empirical support for designing effective environmental interventions using mainstream gaming platforms.MethodsBased on questionnaire data from 2,279 Chinese adolescent gamers of the popular title Honor of Kings, this study constructs a parallel chain mediation model following the Stimulus-Organism-Response framework. Through Pearson correlation analysis, Heterotrait–Monotrait ratio (HTMT) of correlations, and the Bootstrap method using the SPSS PROCESS macro (Model 6), we systematically examined the causal pathways from game stimuli to pro-environmental behavior. This validated a chained mediation mechanism centered on Game Appraisal and Emotional Response, Pro-Environmental Trust, and Pro-Environmental Intention.ResultsThe findings clearly reveal a complete psychological conversion pathway. First, in-game environmental stimuli, such as eco-themed Character Outfits and Environmental Game Mechanisms, significantly and positively predict players' Game Appraisal and Emotional Response. This emotional and cognitive engagement, in turn, robustly fosters Pro-Environmental Trust in the game platform. The analysis confirms that this trust acts as a pivotal mediator, significantly influencing two distinct behavioral intentions: the Intention to Purchase Environmental Products and the Intention to Spread Environmental Messages on social media. Ultimately, both of these intentions were found to be significant positive predictors of final Pro-Environmental Behavior.ConclusionsThis study confirms that Pro-Environmental Trust serves as a crucial psychological bridge converting players' Game Appraisal and Emotional Response into real-world pro-environmental intentions and ultimately, Pro-Environmental Behavior. By elucidating this conversion mechanism, the research contributes to existing literature. This finding provides clear implications for game developers and policymakers: to effectively leverage games for environmental promotion, fostering genuine player trust through authentic environmental initiatives is equally important as designing immersive content.