The Double-Edged Sword of Negative Environmental Information: Environmental Worry, Environmental Self-Efficacy and Pro-Environmental Intentions Among Children in Urban China

In today’s society, children are increasingly exposed to negative environmental information. How such exposure shapes pro-environmental behavioral intentions matters for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, empirical evidence specific to Chinese children remains limited. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods study was conducted with Grade 4 to 6 students in N City, China (survey n = 253; focus groups n = 16). The survey assessed negative environmental information exposure, environmental worry, environmental self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions, and tested mediation and moderation models. Focus groups were analyzed thematically to refine the mechanisms. Quantitative results revealed a clear “double-edged” pattern: exposure to negative environmental information was positively associated with pro-environmental behavioral intentions via heightened environmental worry, yet negatively associated with intentions via reduced environmental self-efficacy. Moreover, environmental self-efficacy moderated the link between worry and intention. Qualitative findings further corroborated and specified these pathways, indicating that children interpret negative messages through crisis narratives, blame attribution, and scale comparison, whereas actionable scripts and positive feedback help sustain perceived control and support translating worry into intention. Sustainability communication and education should therefore pair risk information with efficacy cues, feasible actions, and meaningful feedback rather than relying solely on threat narratives.