Parent–Child Intergenerational Associations of Environmental Attitudes, Psychological Barriers, and Pro-Environmental Behaviors in Japan and China

Decision-making within families considerably affects daily pro-environmental practices. While parental influence on children is known, the influence of children on environmental choices within families has yet to be thoroughly investigated, particularly in Asia. There are almost no reports regarding parent–child bidirectional transmissions in terms of environmental attitudes, psychological barriers, and pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) in the Asian context. This study aimed to examine the parent–child bidirectional transmissions of environmental attitudes, psychological barriers, and PEBs in an Asian context, specifically in Japan and China. A total of 815 parent–child pairs (children ages 9–18) were recruited from Japan and China to participate in online questionnaire surveys. Regression analysis and structural equation modeling based on the actor–partner independence model revealed a bidirectional within-family socialization process of environmental attitudes, psychological barriers, and PEBs in the two countries. Children can transfer environmental knowledge and practices to their parents, which has been underestimated in the literature, particularly in Asia. Furthermore, our results suggest that Chinese children have more potential to act as catalysts in their family’s sustainable shift than Japanese children, given their substantial influence on family decision-making. The potential role of children in transmitting pro-environmental choices to their parents is also discussed.