A study on the effectiveness of narrative image types, message framing, and psychological distance in enhancing young people's self-efficacy in marine garbage recycling

Intentional or unintentional littering, especially among young people, poses a threat to the marine environment. It is, therefore, necessary to enhance awareness of marine environmental protection among youth groups. This study explored the interaction between visual image types (photograph vs. cartoon), message framing (positive vs. negative), and psychological distance (human vs. turtle). A three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression analysis were used to verify the hypotheses. The key findings of the research were as follows: (1) Among the eight information construction methods, cartoons combined with turtles and presented with positive outcomes were the best way to communicate, i.e., cartoons showing animals in a friendly and positive way were the most effective form of marine garbage recycling for young people, and (2) Young people's preference for information will promote their self-efficacy in marine garbage recycling. The implications of these findings for developing marine protection information communication education for youth groups are also proposed.