Media Information Exposure and Green Consumption Behavior Among University Students in Shanghai: A Cross-Sectional Study

Green consumption has become a central topic in sustainability research. However, the relationship between media information exposure and green consumption behavior among university students, as well as the psychological processes underlying this relationship, remains insufficiently understood. This cross-sectional study examined the association between media information exposure and green consumption behavior and tested the hypothesized sequential mediating roles of collectivism and green consumption attitudes. A total of 419 university students were recruited from multiple universities in Shanghai, China. Participants were recruited through university student networks and completed an online questionnaire. All variables were self-reported using established scales: media information exposure, collectivism, green consumption attitudes, and green consumption behavior. Pearson correlation analysis, regression analysis, and bootstrap mediation analysis were employed to test the proposed relationships. The results indicated that media information exposure was positively associated with green consumption behavior (r = 0.542, p < 0.001). Both collectivism and green consumption attitudes served as significant mediators and jointly formed a sequential mediation pathway (B = 0.025, 95% CI [0.006, 0.052]). Because the design was cross-sectional, the proposed sequence represents a theoretical interpretation of the concurrent associations rather than an observed temporal process. These findings suggest that media information exposure, value orientation, attitudes toward green consumption, and green consumption behavior are interconnected, and provide empirical evidence for understanding green consumption behavior among university students, with implications for green consumption education and environmental communication practices in higher education settings.