# The Influence of Social Media Use on Waste Sorting Intentions: A Cognition–Affect–Conation Model Integration with Social Amplification of Risk Framework

## TL;DR

This study explores how social media affects people's intentions to sort waste in China by combining psychological and risk perception models.

## Contribution

The integration of the Cognition–Affect–Conation model with the Social Amplification of Risk Framework provides new insights into social media's role in shaping environmental behavior.

## Key findings

- Information gratification activates positive emotions, while information exposure increases negative emotions.
- Both emotional pathways significantly predict waste sorting intentions.
- Fragmented knowledge and uneven community integration hinder effective environmental behavior translation.

## Abstract

This study examines the impact of social media use on public behavioral intentions regarding waste sorting in China, integrating the Cognition–Affect–Conation model with the Social Amplification of Risk Framework. The proposed framework explores how social media exposure and gratification influence waste sorting intentions through anticipated emotions and environmental risk perception. Regression analysis confirms that information gratification primarily activates positive emotions, while information exposure has a stronger effect on negative emotions. Both affective pathways significantly predict waste sorting intentions, with comparable predictive strengths. Mediation analysis further reveals that information gratification and information exposure indirectly influence behavioral intention through dual emotional pathways and environmental risk perception. Qualitative interviews highlight two structural deficiencies: fragmented knowledge dissemination, which weakens environmental norm internalization, and uneven community integration, which limits behavioral translation. These findings underscore the need for diversified communication strategies and community-based policy interventions to enhance public participation in waste sorting.