Ecological Narratives in Contemporary Literature Influencing Environmental Awareness and Policy Support Outcomes
Year: 2026
Type: dataset
Abstract: This study analyzes the impact of exposure to ecological fiction on environmental discourse by means of narrative transportation, ecological imagination, and digital participation. A mixed-method involving both quantitative and qualitative research approaches was used. The quantitative data were collected through a survey using 374 valid participants through purposive sampling, while the qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. There was a significant positive correlation between exposure to ecological fiction and narrative transportation (β = 0.235, p < 0.001) and between exposure to ecological fiction and ecological imagination (β = 0.291, p < 0.001). Narrative Transportation has a significant effect in influencing Public Environmental Discourse (β = 0.317, p < 0.001). Ecological Imagination is significantly correlated with public environmental discourse (β = 0.111, p = 0.004). Both Narrative Transportation (β = 0.075, p < 0.001) and Ecological Imagination (β = 0.032, p = 0.013) have significant mediation effects on the relationship between ecological fiction reading and public environmental discourse. Digital Engagement plays a significantly moderating role in the relationship between Narrative Transportation and Public Environmental Discourse (β = 0.117, p = 0.002). The qualitative part of the research provides evidence for the promotion of awareness, emotional engagement, future-oriented ecological imagination, and environmental discussion by ecological fiction. The novelty of this study is in the integration of literary engagement, psychological narrative processes, and digital communication in the context of environmental discourse. The study concludes that ecological fiction can function as a meaningful cultural mechanism for strengthening environmental communication and public participation.
Author: Tianshu Xu
Institution: Hefei University
Language: English
Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7204758666