Free download – July 2026

Yilin Wang (Nanyang Technological University) and Heng Zhang (Chongqing University, and Nanyang Technological University), 2026, 54(3), e15544

 

Online climate change video games serve as a tool to promote proenvironmental behavior. This study investigated the relationship between authoritarian and reciprocal forms of filial piety and the intention to play climate change video games, with effectance motivation and self-efficacy as mediators. Participants were 423 Chinese university students, who completed a survey. Results revealed that both authoritarian filial piety and reciprocal filial piety positively predicted gaming intention, and that these relationships were mediated by heightened effectance motivation and self-efficacy, challenging the assumption of a conflict between traditional values and modern technology. These findings suggest that family-supported e-learning strategies can enhance climate change education. Thus, integrating traditional values with digital tools offers culturally resonant pathways to environmental advocacy.