Environmental interpretation is vital in promoting pro-environmental behavior in national parks, yet the emotional and cognitive mechanisms through which different types of interpretation work remain under-researched. Addressing this gap, this study draws on the cognitive-affective system theory and cognition–affection–behavior (CAB) model to investigate how responsibility-based versus knowledge-based interpretation affects pro-environmental behavior via distinct emotional pathways.
A sequential mixed-methods design was used, consisting of a textual analysis of 2,822 online reviews and two controlled experiments (onsite and scenario-based). The first phase identified key cognitive and emotional themes to guide the design of interpretation materials. The second phase tested the effects of interpretation types on pro-environmental behavior, incorporating mediating (awe, nature connection) and moderating (environmental cognition) variables within the CAB framework.
The results showed that responsibility-based interpretation significantly increases pro-environmental behavioral intention compared to knowledge-based interpretation; nature connection plays a direct mediating role, while awe emotion indirectly influences pro-environmental behavior through nature connection, forming a sequential mediation path; and environmental cognition positively moderates the effects of environmental interpretation on both emotions and subsequent behavioral outcomes.
The contribution of this study includes the following: it highlights the stronger behavioral impact of responsibility-based compared to knowledge-based interpretation in national parks; it identifies a novel sequential mediation mechanism where awe influences behavior indirectly through nature connection and establishes nature connection as a central psychological pathway; and it introduces environmental cognition as a key moderator, extending the CAB framework. These insights offer an integrated emotional–cognitive framework that advances theoretical understanding of interpretation and provides practical implications for designing more effective visitor communication strategies in tourism settings.
