Beyond exposure: How parental discussions and student grade levels moderate the relationship between children’s nature interaction and pro-environmental behaviors

Abstract

Engaging children with nature can promote their pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs). However, few studies have examined how this relationship functions across parental communication patterns and children’s developmental stages, particularly in China. This study examines the relationship between parental engagement in children’s nature interactions and children’s PEBs, and how this relationship varies by parental environmental discussions and grade level. Drawing on Granular Interaction Thinking Theory (GITT), we analyzed data from 516 child-caregiver pairs across five Chinese cities. We found that parental facilitation of children’s nature interactions is positively associated with their PEBs, and that this positive association improves in magnitude as the frequency of environmental discussions with parents increases. Children’s grade level moderates this relationship, suggesting developmental variability in how nature-based experiences translate into environmental actions. Accordingly, family engagement and deliberate educational programs can nurture children’s environmental values, gradually transforming toward sustainability and an eco-surplus culture.