Environmental Attitude and Environmental Protection Intention Among Singaporean Generation Z
Does Environmental Connectedness Moderate the Relationship?
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 22431332 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kar Hoong Chan (0000-0001-7026-1343, Temasek Polytechnic), Kah Boon Lim (0000-0002-8346-9482, Multimedia University), Siew Kim Tan (Temasek Polytechnic), Tuan-Hock Ng (0000-0001-9578-1628, Multimedia University), Tuan Hock Ng (Multimedia University), Tze Wei Liew (0000-0003-0153-8649, Multimedia University, corresponding author), Vincent Boon Seng Lim (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 15 |
| Issue | 7 |
| Pages | 472 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-13 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Sciences (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 2076-0760 • E-ISSN: 2076-0760 |
| Publisher | MDPI AG (PUBLISHER • IT) |
| DOI | 10.3390/socsci15070472 |
| OpenAlex | W7168141719 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 48 |
This study examines the moderating role of environmental connectedness in the relationship between environmental attitude and environmental protection intention among Generation Z polytechnic students in Singapore. A cross-sectional survey across five polytechnics yielded 709 valid responses, and partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to assess both direct and moderating effects. Findings confirm that environmental attitude significantly and positively influences environmental protection intention. However, environmental connectedness did not moderate this relationship, suggesting that in dense urban environments, cognitive attitudes may have a stronger impact than affective ties to nature. This study offers novel insights by extending the Theory of Planned Behaviour to include emotional constructs within an Asian urban setting, highlighting how limited nature exposure may weaken the role of affective factors. While the cross-sectional design and convenience sampling limit causal inference and generalisability, the findings align with national trends, as government agencies and educational institutions have intensified efforts to cultivate environmental awareness through green curricula and co-curricular programmes. These findings indicate that interventions such as curriculum redesign and gamification aimed at shaping environmental attitudes may be more effective than strategies relying solely on emotional engagement with nature, thereby supporting Singapore’s climate goals and fostering responsible urban citizenship.
Curriculum · Environmental education · Psychological intervention · Social connectedness · Structural equation modeling · Theory of planned behavior · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Environmental Sustainability in Business
Predicting and Changing Behavior
Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) Using R
Environmental behavior in a private-sphere context
Exploring empirical typologies of human–nature relationships and linkages to the ecosystem services concept
Encouraging pro-environmental behaviours
Knowledge Management
Pro-environmental Behavior from a SocialCognitive Theory Perspective
Minimum sample size estimation in PLS‐SEM
Nature to place
The theory of planned behavior
The connectedness to nature scale
The Role of Social Environmental Networks in Influencing Environmental Knowledge and Environmental Awareness Towards Education for Sustainable Development in Malaysia and Japan
Embodying nature in immersive virtual reality
Attitudes and the Attitude-Behavior Relation
Assessing the Determinants of Energy Poverty in Jordan Based on a Novel Composite Index
Promoting pro-environmental behaviour in a community in Singapore – from raising awareness to behavioural change
New Environmental Theories
Navigating alternative framings of human-environment interactions
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |