Does it work? Exploring the influence mechanism of financial incentives in cultivating pro-environmental behavior among college students

Intervening in college students' environmental behavior is crucial not only to counter the increasing decline in their engagement in pro-environmental actions but also to facilitate a transition toward a more environmentally friendly lifestyle in the future. This study investigates the impact of a common policy instrument, financial incentives, in intervening to promote pro-environmental behavior among college students. Our specific focus is on how financial incentives directly influence behavior and their moderating role on three types of norms (moral norms, injunctive norms, and descriptive norms). The proposed model is empirically tested on 408 college students from four cities in China regarding their waste recycling behavior. Findings suggest that behavior is predominantly influenced by perceived behavioral control, attitude, and moral norms. Financial incentives are found to be insignificantly related to either intention or behavior and may potentially have an undermining effect on the relationship between moral norms and behavior.