Risk and reward: A study on the influencing mechanism of decision-making behavior of Mountaineering in Siguniang Mountain Region

Against the backdrop of the rapid development of commercialized mountaineering, the cognitive and behavioral mechanisms of mountaineers in high-risk contexts require further in-depth investigation. As a major mountaineering destination in China, the Siguniang Mountain region serves as a representative site for studying high-altitude mountaineering behavior and risk-related decision-making. This study focuses on the decision-making mechanisms of mountaineers under the context of commercialized mountaineering, using the Siguniang Mountain region as a case study. It explores the relational pathways among mountaineering motivation, risk perception, negative emotions, participation intention, and mountaineering decision-making behavior. Empirical analysis was conducted using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) and variance analysis. The results indicate that mountaineering motivation negatively predicts both risk perception and negative emotions; risk perception positively influences negative emotions and suppresses participation intention; and participation intention significantly predicts mountaineering decision-making behavior. The variance analysis further reveals that age, income, and mountaineering experience significantly affect key variables, while gender presents a more complex and nonlinear pattern of influence. These findings suggest that the unique commercial model of Siguniang Mountain region has reshaped the risk perception framework and reinforced an experience-oriented tendency in mountaineering decision-making behavior.