Study reveals how communication sequence strengthens green persuasion

The impact of sustainability messages may depend not only on their content but also on the order in which they are presented. The emotional response created by one message may influence how people interpret the next message about green initiatives.

In tourism, where visitors are frequently encouraged to make environmentally responsible choices, understanding how these emotional responses unfold could help organizations design more effective sustainability communication.

Environmental communication often presents the problem and the solution as separate messages. However, people may perceive environmental messages as a sequence, first learning about environmental harm, then encountering possible solutions. This raises the possibility that an initial negative emotion could influence how a subsequent positive message is perceived.

To investigate this process, professor Insin Kim and Dr. Alisa Kazakova of Pusan National University collaborated with Dr. Marcel Bastiaansen of Breda University of Applied Sciences and Tilburg University in the Netherlands to examine how emotional responses unfold across successive stages of green persuasion.

The researchers developed a stage-based emotional processing framework that clarifies the distinct roles of arousal and valence in processing sustainability messages.

The paper was published in the Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing.

The researchers tested their framework in two complementary studies combining neural and behavioral evidence, focusing on arousal and valence as distinct emotional attributes.

In Study 1, a 64-channel electroencephalography experiment showed that prior exposure to tourism-related environmental degradation heightened early attention and sustained neural engagement with green solutions presented afterward.

In Study 2, the same negative-to-positive message sequence produced a contrast-based positive shift in emotional valence, which in turn increased the intention to engage in pro-environmental behavior.

The findings showed that emotional arousal and valence play distinct roles during persuasion. Arousal seemed to facilitate early attention and message processing, but it did not directly influence participants’ intention to engage in pro-environmental behavior. Valence-based evaluation emerged as the primary factor associated with later judgment and behavioral intention.

Kim explains, “Our findings clarify the distinct functional roles of arousal and valence across successive stages of persuasion: early emotional activation facilitates attention and message processing, whereas subsequent valence-based evaluation drives later judgment and intention formation.”

The findings could have practical implications for tourism organizations that rely on visitor participation to support environmental activities. Airlines, cruise operators and nature-based destinations could structure sustainability communication as an emotional sequence rather than presenting green initiatives as isolated messages.

For instance, the strategy could first draw attention to an environmental concern, then present a credible and achievable solution, such as choosing lower-carbon travel options, supporting marine conservation or contributing to the protection of tourist destinations.

The researchers suggest that a carefully designed progression from environmental concern to a positive, feasible solution can help translate heightened attention into constructive engagement. However, environmental information should be authentic and proportionate, rather than designed simply to frighten or overwhelm visitors.

Connecting emotionally salient environmental information with a credible, actionable solution could help organizations encourage greater participation in pro-environmental initiatives.

Over the next few years, this strategy could influence how sustainability messages are delivered across digital booking platforms, destination applications, smart signage and immersive tourism experiences. Rather than relying on a single environmental appeal, organizations could coordinate messages across different stages of the visitor journey.

The study demonstrates that effective persuasion depends not simply on eliciting emotional arousal but on guiding early attention toward a positive evaluation of credible solutions. This principle may also inform climate, conservation, public health and other social-impact communication beyond tourism.

Kim concludes, “Future campaigns should be designed not simply to evoke intense reactions, but to guide early attention toward a positive evaluation of credible solutions and, ultimately, a willingness to act responsibly.”

Who’s behind this story?

Swati Mestri

Swati Mestri holds a bachelor’s degree in Electronics Engineering and has worked as a content editor since 2019. She has experience editing research documents across technology, health care, and materials science, and has a particular interest in technology and space.

Full profile →

Andrew Zinin

Master’s in physics with research experience. Long-time science news enthusiast. Plays key role in Science X’s editorial success.

Full profile →