Cultivating pro-environmental behavioral intention through eco-gamified applications: the roles of intrinsic motivation and e-lifestyle

Purpose Amid growing sustainability concerns and the increasing ubiquity of e-commerce and digital lifestyles, sustainable gamification has emerged as a vital strategy for promoting pro-environmental behavioral intention. This study aims to investigate the direct and indirect effects of e-lifestyle, intrinsic motivation and attitude on users’ intention to adopt sustainable gamification applications, drawing on self-determination theory (SDT) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB). Design/methodology/approach Data were collected via a self-administered survey from 564 mobile app users using quota-guided snowball sampling. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine hypothesized relationships and test serial mediation effects. Findings All hypotheses were supported except for the direct effect of e-lifestyle on intention, which was significant but negative, likely attributable to technology fatigue. Attitude partially mediates the effects of e-lifestyle and intrinsic motivation on intention to adopt eco-gamified applications, with intrinsic motivation and attitude as serial mediators. Practical implications This study contributes to social marketing literature by empirically validating a sequential pathway toward pro-environmental behavioral intention. Results suggest that social marketers design eco-gamified features that align with users’ e-lifestyle, foster their self-efficacy and self-presentation, and reinforce positive attitudes toward sustainable practices. Originality/value Within an integrated TPB–SDT framework, this study makes two contributions. First, it conceptualizes intrinsic motivation and e-lifestyle as empirically validated reflective second-order constructs. Second, it extends the explanatory power of TPB by incorporating intrinsic motivation and e-lifestyle, demonstrating that e-lifestyle influences pro-environmental behavioral intention primarily through sequential mediation.