Pro-environmental Behaviour of Tourists in Uzbekistan: Application of Protection Motivation Theory

2.2 Factors of PMT

2.2.1 Threat Appraisal dimensions

Threat appraisal is a primary cognitive process essentially directed at answering the question: is the existing risk (so) threatening? It includes three elements: assessment of the perceived severity of the current threat, the perceived vulnerability to the current threat, and the rewards connected to current practices (which may inhibit risk protective actions). (Rogers, 1983). Hence, threat appraisal is based on weighing the benefits of doing nothing (i.e., not engaging in risk protective behavior) against the existing risk. Higher perceived severity and vulnerability is likely to promote risk adaptive behavior, while higher perceived rewards of current practices will inhibit adaptive behavior.

2.2.2 Perceived Severity

Perceived severity of the threat reflects how serious an existing risk is perceived to be. Perceived severity of environmental problems is the personal assessment of how serious the BoP consumers perceive the threat from the environmental deterioration (Arthur & Quester, 2004). The protection motivation theory suggests that when people are presented with a threat from environmental pollution, they experience the cognitive process of threat appraisal. In the study of environmental protection, for tourists, perceived threats are mainly health aspects and poor life conditions from environmental pollution (Zur & Klockner, 2014). The threat is managed through certain behaviors to protect their normal lives. Tourists' defense against the threat of a poor environment and protection of personal life lead to motivation to perform benevolent, pro-environmental behaviors

2.2.3 Perceived Vulnerability

Perceived vulnerability reflects perceptions of how susceptible one is to the existing threat. Perceived vulnerability is the personal judgment of the likelihood that a threat from environmental deterioration would occur (Rogers, 1983). In this study, the threat refers to the likelihood of occurrence of harmful environmental pollution to tourists. Previous studies have found a positive and significant relationship between perceived vulnerability and the coping response (Carrete & Arroyo, 2014). It is, therefore, reasonable to assume that tourist’s intentions to engage in pro-environmental household behaviours will increase with higher perceived vulnerability of environmental problems. We expect that perceived severity and perceived vulnerability positively affect tourist’s intentions to engage in household green behaviours.