Validating the dragons of inaction psychological barriers (DIPB) scale in Japan and China: cross-cultural insights on climate change mitigation behaviors

Rapid environmental degradation calls for pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs) and lifestyle changes to foster a sustainable society. Previous research has explored psychological obstacles that hinder the transformation of pro-environmental intentions into actions, utilizing the Dragons of Inaction Psychological Barriers (DIPB) scale. However, it has not yet been validated within Asian contexts. This study validates the DIPB scale and investigates the predictive roles of its five subscales for daily PEBs among Japanese (N = 443) and Chinese (N = 455) samples. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good model fit in both countries, affirming the scale’s cross-cultural applicability. Psychological barriers differed not only across various behaviors but also between the two countries. In Japan, the barriers to meat reduction were notably lower compared to most of the other behaviors tested. Regression analyses demonstrated that Change Unnecessary and Conflicting Goals and Aspirations significantly predicted lower PEBs in Japan and China, respectively. Unexpectedly, Tokenism was positively correlated with PEBs in both samples. Implications for future research and culturally sensitive interventions are discussed.