Encouraging pro-environmental behaviour in a virtual reality serious game: the interplay between competition and prior knowledge

Drawing upon self-determination theory, this study investigates whether the effects of competition interact with individuals’ prior knowledge to influence the motivations for and antecedents to their pro-environmental behaviour. Using a virtual reality serious game about plastic waste, we conducted a 2 (Game environment: Competition vs. Non-competition) × 3 (Prior knowledge about plastic waste: Low vs. Medium vs. High) between-subjects experiment with 61 participants (Mage = 23.31, SDage = 2.77). Results indicated that competition had differential impacts depending on individuals’ prior knowledge. Competition had negative effects on motivation and antecedents to pro-environmental behaviour for players with low levels of prior knowledge and positive effects for players with medium levels of prior knowledge. As the first study to investigate prior knowledge as a moderator for the effects of competition in a virtual reality serious game, our research contributes to the literature by clarifying the conditions under which competition could promote pro-environmental behaviour and offers suggestions on customised use of competition for communication practitioners.