How Linguistic Features in Video Messages Shape Climate-Friendly Diet Choices in China

Climate-friendly dietary change is critical for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, yet communication strategies that effectively motivate such behaviour remain poorly understood. This study investigated how linguistic features embedded in climate-related video messages influence viewers’ motivations to adopt climate-friendly diets among Chinese young adults. Using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) dictionary, we analyzed the emotional, motivational, and cognitive composition of 59 real-world short videos promoting sustainable eating. Participants (N = 711) were randomly assigned to view six videos and completed post-viewing measures of dietary motivation. Results revealed that anger, power and certainty-related words all enhanced climate-friendly dietary motivations after watching the video, whereas sadness and achievement words diminished motivations. In addition to these overall main effects, based on a set of variables assessing collective values, emotions, and efficacy, audience segmentation identified three distinct groups: Disengaged (26%), Positive-Engaged (45%), and Negative-Engaged (29%), which differed markedly in responsiveness to linguistic cues. Causation-related language significantly strengthened motivations in the Positive-Engaged segment; Tentative language significantly reduced motivations among the Disengaged segment. Together, these findings highlight how subtle variations in message wording can shape motivation for sustainable behaviour and underscore the value of linguistic analysis in designing effective climate communication.