From aesthetic engagement to pro-environmental intention: the serial mediating roles of awe and green mindfulness in university students’ responses to traditional Chinese nature poetry
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Introduction Universities provide an important setting for integrating cultural learning with sustainability education. This study examines the association between the perceived aesthetic appeal of traditional Chinese nature poetry and university students’ pro-environmental behavioral intention (PEBI), as well as the potential indirect associations involving awe and green mindfulness. Traditional Chinese nature poetry provides a culturally embedded aesthetic and educational context for examining these psychological relationships. Methods Cross-sectional survey data were collected from 409 Chinese university students across four academic semesters and analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis. Results Aesthetic appeal was positively associated with PEBI, awe, and green mindfulness. Significant indirect associations between aesthetic appeal and PEBI were observed through both awe and green mindfulness, together with a significant serial indirect association through these two variables. The model explained 43.7% of the variance in PEBI. ANN analysis further indicated that aesthetic appeal had the greatest relative predictive importance for PEBI, followed by green mindfulness and awe. Discussion The findings suggest that self-transcendent emotion and environmentally oriented awareness may help explain the association between perceived aesthetic appeal and pro-environmental behavioral intention. These relationships should be interpreted as theoretically informed statistical associations rather than evidence of an established temporal or causal psychological process. By examining aesthetic evaluation, emotional experience, and environmental awareness within a culturally embedded educational context, this study contributes to understanding psychological correlates of pro-environmental intention and highlights potential connections between traditional Chinese poetry appreciation and sustainability education.
Source: Frontiers in Psychology
Authors: Hua Long, Jiali Shi, Quan Zhang, Dun Zhao, Xiaoxi Ma
Institution: Yunnan Agricultural University
Language: English
Subfield: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7224112480