A Systematic Review of the Persuasive Effects of Environmental Communication in Short Videos
Abstract
Short videos have become a central format in environmental communication, yet evidence on their persuasive effects on sustainable tourism behavior remains fragmented. This study provides a systematic review of short-video persuasion in sustainable tourism contexts, synthesizing theoretical approaches, mechanisms, and boundary conditions. Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched 4 databases up to September 2025, identifying 2,151 records and retaining 12 peer-reviewed journal articles for analysis. The included studies were organized into three thematic clusters: (1) short-video content features and sustainable tourism intentions (7 studies, 58.3%), (2) social media influencer effects on destination persuasion (4 studies, 33.3%), and (3) audience evaluation of sustainable tourism information (4 studies, 33.3%), with some studies addressing. Methodologically, the corpus comprised cross-sectional questionnaire surveys (7/12, 58.3%), experimental designs (3/12, 25.0%), and content analytic approaches (2/12, 16.7%). Theoretically, studies drew primarily on Persuasion Theory, Stimulus-Organism-Response Theory, Technology Acceptance Model, and Source Credibility Theory, though actual behavior was measured in only one study. Message design features,including narrative framing, emotional visual cues, and production aesthetics,demonstrated conditional positive effects on pro-environmental intentions, operating through both cognitive and affective pathways. Influencer credibility and audience–source congruence further moderated persuasive outcomes. These findings underscore the field's overreliance on intention-based outcomes and geographically concentrated samples (5/12, 41.7% from China), highlighting an unresolved intention–behavior gap. Future research should prioritize longitudinal and cross-cultural designs, behavioral outcome measurement, and platform-level perspectives to advance both theoretical integration and practical communication strategies.
Keywords: short video, persuasion, sustainable communication, behavioral intention, systematic review.
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