From click to green choice: the influence of social media content type on green consumption intention

Purpose This study focuses on the obstacles to the transformation of green consumption intention into behavior, explores the interaction between information framing (positive and negative) and behavioral agency types (individual and group), and reveals how two types of characteristics of social media video content influence consumers’ green consumption intention. Methods Based on prospect theory, three scenario experiments were designed to simulate social media video stimuli. The study systematically manipulated two factors: information framing (emphasizing positive or negative outcomes) and behavioral agent types (presenting green behavior as either individual or group actions). Experiment 1 examined the interaction effect between these factors on green purchase intention; Experiment 2 explored the mediating role of self-identity and social identity; Experiment 3 investigated the moderating effect of explanatory level. Findings This study investigates the interactive effects of information framing and behavioral agency types in social media video content on consumers’ green consumption intention. The results demonstrate that both positive information combined with individual behavior and negative information combined with group behavior significantly enhance green consumption intention. Self-identity and social identity mediate the impact of these two combinations, forming two distinct cognitive transmission pathways. Furthermore, the findings indicate that consumers’ explanatory level moderates the strength of this interactive effect, thereby altering how these two variables influence green consumption intention. Practical implications This study provides targeted and actionable guidance for social media marketing managers, advertising professionals in the green product industry, and environmental governance departments: it proposes precise matching strategies of behavioral agent types and information frameworks, clarifies the identity activation mechanism to embed identity cues in green communication content, and formulates stratified communication strategies based on consumers’ interpretation levels and cognitive characteristics. The research conclusions can directly optimize the design of green social media content, improve the conversion efficiency of green consumption intentions to behavior, and provide a practical basis for the government to guide public green consumption behavior through digital media. Originality and value The core contribution of this study lies in extending prospect theory to the context of green consumption communication in social media with empirical verification and mechanism exploration, and constructing a multi-variable synergistic influence model of “behavioral agent type-information framing-identity identification-level” on green consumption intention. It clarifies the differentiated cognitive transmission pathways of self-identity and social identity, and identifies the boundary condition of interpretation level for the interactive effect of behavioral agent type and information framing. This research not only expands the application boundaries of prospect theory, identity theory and interpretation level theory in the field of green consumption, but also provides actionable and stratified optimization strategies for green information dissemination, thereby promoting the widespread adoption of eco-friendly products and the realization of macro ecological governance goals.