Influential factors of environmental behavior to reduce air pollution: integrating theories of planned behavior and psychological distance

Exploring the incentive mechanism of public participation is the key to the implementation of sustainable policies in China. This study related the constructs of psychological distance (PD), the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and willingness to pay (WTP) to examine the influential factors of environmental behaviors to prevent air pollution. The contingent valuation method was applied to demonstrate pro-environmental endeavors by measuring WTP and the structural equation model was used to clarify the effects between PD, TPB and WTP. The results showed that different dimensions of PD from air pollution have overlapping influences. Participants judged the air pollution as psychologically closer tend to have positive attitudes and stronger subjective norms, and the reduced PD can translate into increased WTP. The PD-TPB-WTP model correctly predicts up to 17.6% of WTP and 82.6% of behavioral intention. Environmental policymakers are suggested to draft policies according to individuals’ internal thinking.