Environment and Social Psychology

Environment and Social Psychology

       ISSN: 

2424-8975 (Online)

Journal Abbreviation:

Environ. Soc. Psychol.

Environment and Social Psychology (ESP) is an international open-access academic journal dedicated to publishing highly professional research in all fields related to the relationship between environment and social psychology. All manuscripts are subjected to a rigorous double-blind peer review process, to ensure quality and originality. We are interested in the original research discoveries. This journal also features a wide range of research in ancillary areas relevant to social psychology. ESP publishes original research articles, review articles, editorials, case reports, letters, brief commentaries, perspectives, methods, etc. ESP aims to explore the connections between the environment and human condition, and enhance the environment protection consciousness and behaviors that are crucial to achieve the goals of sustainable development and human development. 

The research topics of ESP include but are not limited to:

  • Environment psychology
      Environmental perception
      Environmental behaviour
      Environmental design
  • Social psychology
      Social perception
      Social Behaviour
      Interpersonal Relationships
  • Environment and mental health
      Mental Health
      Coping mechanisms
      Emotions and the Environment
  • Sustainability and behavioral science
      Sustainable Development
      Behavioural change theory
      Social norms and environmental behaviour
  • Climate psychology
      Psychological impacts of climate change
      Behavioural responses
      Climate education
  • Interdisciplinary research
      Environment and social sciences
      Technology and psychology
      Culture and environment
  • Social Sciences(Health)
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
      Learning, attention deficit and the environment
      Genderisation, child development and the social environment
  • Neurological and physiological psychology
      Depression and the environment
      Problem Solving and the Social Environment
 

Notice: The ownership of Environment and Social Psychology (ESP) has been transferred from Asia Pacific Academy of Science Pte. Ltd. to Arts and Science Press Pte. Ltd. The new publisher will publish this journal starting from Volume 9, Issue 7 of 2024. Contributors should make submissions to the new journal system (https:/esp.as-pub.com/index.php/esp) from March 25, 2024. Authors of previous submissions can track the publication progress through the original journal system.

Vol. 10 No. 5 (2025): Publishing

Table of Contents

Open Access
Research Articles
by Sermahal T. Askali
2025,10(5);    25 Views
Abstract Political will in governance significantly shapes public trust, civic engagement, and policy outcomes. This study explores the perspectives of community constituents in the Philippines regarding the demonstration and consistency of political will in addressing public concerns. The main objective is to understand how citizens perceive political commitment and integrity in governance practices, and what factors influence trust and expectations. Using an exploratory qualitative design, data were collected through in-depth interviews with 25 respondents representing diverse communities. Findings reveal that political will is often perceived as inconsistent, influenced by electoral cycles, media narratives, and bureaucratic constraints. The study also applies the Psychological Reactance Theory and the Spiral of Silence Theory to explain public responses to broken political commitments and dominant media discourses. These insights highlight the need for sustained leadership integrity and participatory governance.
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Open Access
Research Articles
by Zhibai Li
2025,10(5);    5 Views
Abstract Purpose : This study investigates whether environmentally responsible companies generate more stable shareholder sentiment compared to their less environmentally conscious counterparts, addressing a critical gap in understanding the psychological mechanisms through which environmental performance influences investor behavior. Methodology : Using a comprehensive dataset of 2,458 firm-year observations from 351 companies across five industries during 2018-2024, This study employs panel regression analysis with instrumental variable estimation to examine the relationship between multidimensional environmental performance and sentiment stability. Environmental performance is measured across four dimensions: emissions reduction, resource efficiency, environmental management, and climate initiatives. Sentiment stability captures volatility, persistence, and recovery dynamics of investor emotional responses derived from social media analytics and traditional sentiment indicators. Findings : Results demonstrate a significant positive relationship between environmental performance and sentiment stability (β = 0.153, p < 0.01). Environmental management systems exhibit the strongest influence (β = 0.156), followed by resource efficiency (β = 0.124), indicating investors prioritize systematic governance structures over specific outcomes. Market volatility significantly moderates this relationship, with high environmental performers maintaining sentiment stability during turbulent periods (10.3% decline) compared to low performers (35.4% decline), confirming environmental responsibility's "safe haven" effect. Practical Implications : Environmental initiatives represent strategic investments in investor psychology rather than mere compliance activities. Companies should prioritize environmental management systems and operational efficiency to maximize sentiment stability benefits. For investors, environmental performance serves as a risk mitigation tool, particularly during volatile market conditions.
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Open Access
Research Articles
by Zhenqing Gao, Batkhuyag Jamiyandorj, Baoyintao getao
2025,10(5);    9 Views
Abstract Under the dual strategic frameworks of “Digital China” and “Rural Revitalization,” rural e-commerce has become a transformative force in reshaping regional social behavioral mechanisms. This study examines the evolution of social psychological structures driven by the growth of rural e-commerce clusters in Inner Mongolia, aiming to transcend conventional economic-performance-oriented paradigms by focusing on the mechanisms of cognition, trust, and identity reconstruction in digital environments. Integrating Environmental Behavior Theory, Social Capital Theory, and Institutional Trust Theory, the study develops a four-dimensional analytical model: “Rural E-commerce Clusters → Social Capital → Institutional Trust → Social Psychological Structure.” The model posits that rural e-commerce not only optimizes resource allocation through platform mechanisms and information flow but also reconstructs behavioral expectations and collective psychological logic through embedded community interactions and institutional rule-making. Based on a survey of 346 valid responses from Inner Mongolia, structural equation modeling (SEM) results confirm that the development of rural e-commerce clusters significantly and positively influences regional social psychological restructuring. Both social capital and institutional trust serve as significant mediators in this process, and a chained mediation effect is established, illustrating the layered psychological reconstruction mechanism under platform governance. This research advances the theoretical discourse on behavioral transformation in digitally mediated rural governance and offers policy-oriented insights for modernizing rural social structures in the context of digital economies.
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Open Access
Research Articles
by BinKai Ge
2025,10(5);    3 Views
Abstract This study investigates the social-psychological mechanisms through which green marketing influences consumer purchase behavior, with a specific focus on the mediating role of environmental consciousness and the moderating effect of collectivism. Using a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design, we collected data from 1,103 consumers across six metropolitan areas in China through surveys and follow-up focus groups (n=72). Structural equation modeling revealed that environmental consciousness mediates approximately 55% of green marketing's influence on purchase behavior (β = 0.22, 95% CI: 0.17-0.28), indicating that the majority of green marketing's effectiveness operates through enhancing consumers' environmental awareness rather than direct persuasion. The findings also demonstrate a significant moderation effect of collectivism on the relationship between environmental consciousness and purchase behavior (β = 0.15, p < 0.01), with stronger effects observed among highly collectivistic consumers. This suggests that cultural values substantially shape how environmental consciousness translates into sustainable consumption practices. The moderated mediation index was significant (index = 0.09, 95% CI: 0.04-0.15), confirming that the indirect effect of green marketing varies conditional on collectivism levels. By integrating perspectives from the Theory of Planned Behavior, Value-Belief-Norm theory, and Social Cognitive Theory, our research establishes a comprehensive framework for understanding the psychological pathways underlying green consumer behavior. These findings contribute to both theoretical development in environmental psychology and practical insights for marketers, suggesting that green marketing strategies should prioritize consciousness-raising approaches tailored to different consumer segments based on their environmental awareness levels and cultural orientations. The demonstrated importance of collectivism has particular implications for cross-cultural marketing strategies, indicating that emphasizing community benefits may be especially effective in collectivistic contexts.
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Open Access
Research Articles
by Tao Zhang, I-Hua Chen
2025,10(5);    0 Views
Abstract This research focuses on Chinese vocational art students, employing a mixed methodology combining questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and social psychological observation to construct a multi-dimensional assessment framework for measuring sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship abilities. The study systematically examines the influence mechanisms and developmental pathways of social environmental factors on the formation of these abilities. Through analysis of 426 students from 8 vocational art institutions, the research reveals that vocational art students' sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship abilities exhibit a three-dimensional structure comprising cognitive abilities, behavioral skills, and psychological qualities. These dimensions are interconnected and mutually reinforcing, collectively forming an integrated system of sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship capability.The findings indicate that the educational environment influences innovation and entrepreneurship abilities through three pathways: knowledge transfer, behavior shaping, and psychological construction, with practice platforms (direct effect=0.57) and mentor guidance (direct effect=0.49) showing the most significant impact. The vocational ecological environment functions through market driving, social capital, and professional identity mechanisms, with students from different professional fields showing significant differences in innovation and entrepreneurship abilities (F=44.37, p<0.001). Cultural values exert influence through value identification, identity construction, and social support, with reform openness demonstrating the most significant correlation with innovation and entrepreneurship ability (r=0.68).The research identifies three typical individual development profiles (explorers, integrators, and innovators) and their corresponding educational support systems, finding that social resource integration ability is a key success factor for sustainable innovation and entrepreneurship. Based on these findings, the study proposes the construction of a "three-dimensional integrated" ability development system and a "whole-environment, multi-stage, personalized" educational ecosystem, providing theoretical foundation and practical guidance for cultivating innovative and entrepreneurial talent in vocational art education.
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Open Access
Research Articles
by Guo Li, Haoshan Chu, Yuanxin Liu
2025,10(5);    1 Views
Abstract This study examines the impact of environmental risk factors on market pricing efficiency in China's stock market from 2018 to 2024. Using a comprehensive panel dataset of 2,486 listed companies, the research constructs a multidimensional environmental risk index incorporating both physical and transition risks. The empirical analysis reveals that environmental risks significantly impair market efficiency through direct operational impacts and indirect investor perception channels. A one-standard-deviation increase in environmental risk leads to a 0.186-standard-deviation decrease in price synchronicity and a 0.224-standard-deviation increase in price delay. The investor risk perception channel accounts for approximately 35% of the total effect. Cross-sectional analysis shows that environmental risk effects are 1.5 times stronger in high-pollution industries compared to low-pollution sectors. These relationships remain robust after addressing endogeneity concerns through instrumental variable estimation and various robustness tests. The findings contribute to the growing literature on environmental finance and have important implications for improving environmental risk disclosure frameworks and market efficiency in emerging economies.
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Announcements

Announcement about Artificial Intelligence in Academic Writing issues

With the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, the use of AI tools, such as ChatGPT and other large language models, is becoming increasingly prevalent in research publications. Art and Science Publishing House is dedicated to continuously refining and updating its policies regarding the use of AI tools in academic writing. In alignment with COPE’s position statement on AI tools, we hereby outline the following guidelines:  

Authorship and Accountability 

AI tools cannot be listed as authors or co-authors of a manuscript. This is because AI tools cannot take responsibility for the content of a submission, nor do they possess the ability to manage copyright and licensing agreements.  

Transparency in Disclosure 

Authors who use AI tools in the preparation of their manuscripts—whether for writing, data collection, or data analysis—must transparently disclose the use of such tools. This disclosure should include:  

A description of how the AI tool was used.  

The specific AI tool(s) employed.  

This information should be clearly stated in either the "Methods" or "Acknowledgments" section of the manuscript.  

Author Responsibility  

Authors bear full responsibility for the content of their manuscripts, including any portions generated by AI tools or data analyzed using AI during the research process. This ensures the integrity and accuracy of the published work.  

Consequences of Non-Disclosure

Failure to disclose the use of AI tools in a manuscript will result in serious consequences. “Environment and Social Psychology” and Art and Science reserve the right to reject or retract any submission found to have concealed the use of AI tools.  

These guidelines are designed to uphold the highest standards of academic integrity and transparency while embracing the potential benefits of AI in research. We encourage authors to use AI tools responsibly and to provide clear and honest reporting of their use.  

For further clarification or questions regarding these policies, please contact our editorial office.  

Posted: 2025-01-20
 

Call for papers

The Environment and Social Psychology (ESP) invites submissions of original research manuscripts in all areas of Environment psychology, including Human-Environment Interactions, Sustainability and Pro-Environmental Behavior, Climate Change Psychology, Restorative Environments, Urban Planning and Design, Place Attachment and Identity, Environmental Stressors and communication. 

Since 2022, ESP has been indexed in SCOPUS, further enhancing its visibility and academic impact. We encourage researchers interested in publishing with ESP to submit their work for consideration.

We look forward to your valuable contributions to the journal.

Posted: 2024-12-23
 

Announcement of New Editor-in-Chief

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Professor Gabriela Topa as the new Editor-in-Chief of Environment and Social Psychology (ESP), effective December 1, 2024. Professor Topa, who is currently affiliated with Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia (UNED) in Spain, brings a wealth of expertise in Social and Organizational Psychology to this prestigious role.

Having previously served as an esteemed member of our Editorial Board, Professor Topa has demonstrated exceptional leadership and scholarly acumen. Her appointment marks an exciting new chapter for ESP as we continue to advance our mission of publishing cutting-edge research in social psychology and related disciplines.

Environment and Social Psychology is a fully open-access journal committed to disseminating high-quality research across a broad spectrum of topics within the field. Under Professor Topa's guidance, we are confident that ESP will reach new heights of academic excellence and influence.

 

The ESP Editorial Team and Publisher

Posted: 2024-12-01
 
More Announcements...