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The Impact of Transformative Tourism Experiences on Prosocial Behaviors of College Students: Multiple Chain Mediating Effects of Dispositional Awe and Social Connectedness

Author

Listed:
  • Ying Li

    (Department of Tourism Management, Northwest University, Xi’an 710100, China)

  • Xuan Wu

    (Department of Tourism Management, Northwest University, Xi’an 710100, China)

  • Yu-Jie Chu

    (Department of Tourism Management, Northwest University, Xi’an 710100, China)

  • Ya-Jun Guo

    (Department of Tourism Management, Northwest University, Xi’an 710100, China)

Abstract

As sustainable behaviors that contribute to the development of human society, prosocial behaviors are an important part of the moral cultivation of college students and have attracted the growing attention of higher education in recent years. It has been indicated by previous studies that transformative tourism experiences can have a profound impact on individual prosocial behaviors. Therefore, how transformative tourism experiences play a role in strengthening college students’ prosocial behaviors has become a topic worthy of note. Based on the self-determination theory, the awe prototype theory, and the transformative tourism research, this study constructed a mechanism model of the transformative tourism experiences affecting college students’ prosocial behaviors. Four hundred and fifty-four valid questionnaires were collected through questionnaire surveys, with the structural equation model and bootstrap analysis method used for the empirical test. The results showed that transformative tourism experiences became one of the important ways to strengthen college students’ prosocial behaviors and that the multiple chain intermediary effects of awe and social connectedness between transformative tourism experiences and the college students’ prosocial behaviors were significant. This study provided a new way to cultivate college students’ prosocial behaviors and promote the sustainable development of human society, and it provided a theoretical basis for the social education function played by research tourism in higher education.

Suggested Citation

  • Ying Li & Xuan Wu & Yu-Jie Chu & Ya-Jun Guo, 2022. "The Impact of Transformative Tourism Experiences on Prosocial Behaviors of College Students: Multiple Chain Mediating Effects of Dispositional Awe and Social Connectedness," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(20), pages 1-16, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:20:p:13626-:d:949027
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Robson, Matthew, 2021. "Inequality aversion, self-interest and social connectedness," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 183(C), pages 744-772.
    2. Becker, Elisabeth, 2018. "Tour-guiding as a pious place-making practice: The case of the Sehitlik Mosque, Berlin," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 81-90.
    3. Coghlan, Alexandra, 2015. "Prosocial behaviour in volunteer tourism," Annals of Tourism Research, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 46-60.
    4. Alexander Neaman & Siegmar Otto & Eli Vinokur, 2018. "Toward an Integrated Approach to Environmental and Prosocial Education," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-11, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Karina A. Rus & Ștefan Dezsi & Ovidiu R. Ciascai, 2023. "Transformative Experiences in Cycling Tourism: A Conceptual Framework," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-22, October.
    2. Jiali Zhang & Baorui Chang & Jiandong Fang, 2025. "Awe Influences Prosocial Behavior and Subjective Well-Being Through the Quiet Ego," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 26(1), pages 1-22, January.
    3. Xiaoqi Xu, 2025. "The Transformative Power of Awe Experiences in Tourism and Hospitality: A Systematic Review and Future Research Framework," SAGE Open, , vol. 15(1), pages 21582440251, March.

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