Purpose This study examines how Instagram travel content shapes responsible tourism behavior through moral psychological processes in collectivist Southeast Asian contexts. Drawing on the stimulus–organism–response (SOR) framework, moral foundations theory (MFT) and construal level theory (CLT), it investigates how perceived authenticity, enjoyment, credibility and parasocial interaction influence moral engagement and subsequent moral judgment, moral emotion and cognitive dissonance among travelers in Malaysia and Singapore. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative cross-sectional survey was conducted with 459 active Instagram users in Malaysia and Singapore. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to test the proposed model. Findings The results indicate that perceived authenticity, enjoyment, credibility and parasocial interaction significantly increase moral engagement. Moral engagement subsequently influences moral judgment, moral emotion and cognitive dissonance, which together predict responsible tourism behavior, with moral judgment showing the strongest effect. Practical implications Tourism organizations, destination authorities and content creators should emphasize authentic and credible storytelling that highlights ethical and community-based tourism practices. Collaboration with trusted influencers and emotionally engaging narratives can strengthen moral engagement and encourage responsible travel behavior among digitally connected audiences. Social implications The findings suggest that social media platforms such as Instagram can promote ethical awareness and responsible tourism behavior. Authentic digital storytelling about local communities, culture and environmental protection can encourage travelers to reflect on the moral consequences of their actions. In collectivist societies, such content may strengthen empathy, cultural sensitivity and more responsible interactions with host destinations. Originality/value This study contributes to digital tourism research by positioning Instagram as a moral context rather than a promotional tool. By integrating the SOR framework with MFT and CLT, it provides cross-cultural evidence from Southeast Asia on how moral engagement links social media exposure to ethical tourism behavior.
Zhichao et al. (Thu,) studied this question.