The impact of the perceived risk and conservation commitment of marine microplastics on tourists’ pro-environmental behaviors

Abstract Microplastic pollution has been recognized as an emerging concern that negatively affects marine ecosystems. Given the current situation, the government and environmental groups have emphasized the seriousness of microplastics to the public. However, very few studies have empirically examined how individuals perceive the risks of microplastics. Thus, this study aims to identify the relationship between peoples’ risk perception of microplastics and pro-environmental behavioral intention. The empirical study used a total of 445 samples collected from an online survey and adopted the partial least squares path modeling method to test the causal relationships among knowledge, risk perception, feelings of guilt, social responsibility, and pro-environmental behavioral intention. The results indicated that risk perception significantly affects pro-environmental behavioral intention and is influenced by knowledge. In addition, we highlighted that feelings of guilt and social responsibility play important mediating roles in the relation between risk perception and pro-environmental behavioral intention. This study has meaningful implications for practitioners to encourage the public’s eco-friendly behavior by suggesting ways to convey knowledge of microplastics and stimulate individual responsibility towards the environment.