Refining the RISP Model for Moralized Risks: Integrating Environmental Values and Anticipated Guilt into...

This study refines the Risk Information Seeking and Processing (RISP) model by integrating the New Ecological Paradigm (NEP) and anticipated guilt to address climate change as a "moralized risk." Using a national sample of South Korean adults (N = 1,500), structural equation modeling validates traditional RISP pathways while identifying a critical "parallel processing pathway." Specifically, anticipated guilt and perceived efficacy directly drive preventive behavioral intentions, bypassing the mediation of information seeking. The NEP acts as a foundational filter for risk perception and efficacy, while informational subjective norms reduce perceived knowledge gaps-indicating a "normative defense mechanism" unique to the collectivist context. These findings suggest that climate communication must transcend factual dissemination. By strategically targeting moral identities and environmental worldviews, practitioners can better bridge the "knowledge-action gap" and foster substantive public engagement in sustainability.