Association Between Environmental Sensitivity Profiles and Pro‐Environmental Behaviours Among Adolescents: Person‐Centred Moderated Mediation Model

ABSTRACT

Environmental sensitivity has been associated with adolescents' pro‐environmental behaviours. However, most studies have relied on variable‐centred approaches and have not adequately addressed individual differences. The present study used a person‐centred approach to examine whether climate change anxiety sequentially mediates the associations between environmental sensitivity profiles and adolescents' pro‐environmental behaviours, and whether environmental locus of control moderates these pathways. A sample of 2916 adolescents completed measures of environmental sensitivity, climate change anxiety, environmental locus of control and pro‐environmental behaviour. Latent profile analysis identified three environmental sensitivity profiles: high (69.3%), moderate (26.2%) and low (4.4%). Results showed that environmental sensitivity profiles were more directly associated with private‐domain behaviours than with public‐domain behaviours. Cognitive‐emotional impairment mediated the association between sensitivity profiles and private‐domain behaviours. For public‐domain behaviours, cognitive‐emotional impairment and functional impairment formed a sequential indirect pathway linking sensitivity profiles to behavioural outcomes and environmental locus of control moderated specific pathways in this model. Overall, these findings underscore the value of a person‐centred approach for clarifying heterogeneity in environmental sensitivity and the underlying psychological mechanisms. The results offer practical implications for interventions aimed at reducing maladaptive climate change anxiety and strengthening adaptive environmental locus of control to promote adolescents' pro‐environmental engagement.