Investigating the influence mechanism of goal-framing theory on urban residents' green travel behavior

This study aims to explore the influence mechanism of goal-framing theory on green travel behavior (GTB), thereby supporting the promotion of sustainable transportation modes to mitigate environmental degradation and resource waste, in alignment with the “dual carbon” targets. Based on the GTB data of 334 Chinese residents, we use goal-framing theory to analyze residents' subjective environmental concerns and the external media's driving mechanism on their choice of green travel through a structural equation modeling (SEM). At the same time, the mediating effect of goal frames is tested through mediation testing. The results show that: 1. indirectly encouraged by media persuasion influencing their normative and hedonic goals; 2. encouraged by normative and hedonic goals partially mediating the relationship between environmental concerns and GTB; and 3. surprisingly, not very affected by influencing their gain goals. The implications of this research provide actionable insights for interventions, messaging strategies, transportation industry practices, environmental policy development, and theoretical advancements. For future research, it is essential to delve into regional variations and to more thoroughly account for the influence of external factors on GTB.