Virtual nature exposure has emerged as an effective method for promoting pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors, also due to the increased emotional connection with nature itself. However, the role played by complex emotions elicited by virtual nature, such as awe, needs to be fully elucidated. Awe is an emotion stemming from vast stimuli, including nature, and virtual reality (VR) emerged as an effective medium to elicit it. One hundred nineteen participants were exposed to either one of four VR environments: (a) an awe-inspiring virtual nature, (b) a non-natural awe-inspiring virtual scenario, (c) a non-awe-inspiring virtual nature, (d) a non-natural non-awe-inspiring scenario. Pro-environmental attitudes, intentions, discrete emotions, and affect were measured and compared across the different conditions. Two ad hoc tasks were developed to measure two pro-environmental behaviors after each VR exposure. Participants were invited to sign a real petition against plastic production, consumption, and in favor of plastic recycling (a personally engaging behavior), and to take flyers to spread the word on the petition to friends and acquaintances (a socially engaging behavior). Awe-inspiring virtual nature resulted in a significantly increased number of flyers taken by participants (vs. control). Disposition toward the protection of the environment, positive emotional affect, and condition significantly correlated with the number of flyers taken. These results indicated that awe-inspiring virtual nature can influence socially engaging pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors but not personally engaging ones.

中文翻译：

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“捍卫地球权利”：令人敬畏的虚拟自然促进环保行为。

虚拟自然接触已成为促进环保态度和行为的有效方法，这也是由于与自然本身的情感联系增加。然而，虚拟自然引发的复杂情感（例如敬畏）所起的作用需要充分阐明。敬畏是一种源于巨大刺激（包括自然）的情感，而虚拟现实（VR）成为引发敬畏的有效媒介。一百一十九名参与者暴露于四种 VR 环境之一：(a) 令人敬畏的虚拟自然，(b) 非自然的令人敬畏的虚拟场景，(c) 非令人敬畏的虚拟自然，( d) 非自然、非令人敬畏的场景。在不同条件下测量和比较了环保态度、意图、离散情绪和情感。我们开发了两项临时任务来衡量每次 VR 暴露后的两种环保行为。参与者被邀请签署一份反对塑料生产、消费和支持塑料回收的真实请愿书（一种个人参与行为），并携带传单向朋友和熟人传播请愿书的信息（一种社会参与行为）。令人惊叹的虚拟自然导致参与者拍摄的传单数量显着增加（与对照组相比）。保护环境的倾向、积极的情绪影响和状况与获取传单的数量显着相关。这些结果表明，令人敬畏的虚拟自然可以影响社会参与的环保态度和行为，但不会影响个人参与的态度和行为。