From environmental awareness to ecological behavior: a bibliometric mapping of the literature

Abstract

This study maps the intellectual, conceptual, and social structure of the research literature connecting environmental awareness to ecological behavior through a systematic bibliometric analysis. Bibliographic records were retrieved from Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection and Scopus using a comprehensive dual-database search strategy, yielding 934 unique publications after duplicate removal. A database complementarity analysis revealed that 222 records (23.8%) were exclusive to Scopus, with Scopus-only records exhibiting a lower mean citation count (20.3 vs. 40.5) and earlier mean publication year (2017 vs. 2019) compared to WoS records, confirming the necessity of dual-database indexing. All analyses were conducted in R using the bibliometrix package. Findings document a substantial acceleration in annual production, particularly after 2016, with a peak of 132 publications in 2025. Bradford's Law analysis identified 39 core journals (33.2% of publications), with a zone multiplier of 1:4.4:7.9—deviating from the classical geometrical prediction—consistent with a disciplinarily heterogeneous field. Lotka's Law analysis revealed that 88.94% of authors contributed only one publication, significantly exceeding the theoretical expectation of 65.47% (residual = +0.2347), signaling an active but structurally fragmented contributory base. Keyword sensitivity analysis confirmed that the thematic structure—anchored on pro-environmental behavior, attitudes, environmental attitudes, environmental concern, and sustainability—remained stable across minimum co-occurrence thresholds of ≥3, ≥5, and ≥7, demonstrating high robustness. Thematic evolution analysis revealed three distinct developmental phases: an early foundation stage (pre-2010) dominated by knowledge and attitude frameworks, a consolidation stage (2011–2020) centered on behavioral mechanisms, and an acceleration stage (2021–2026) integrating sustainability, digital, and cross-cultural dimensions. Together, these findings suggest the field may be growing and theoretically shifting from antecedent-focused to mechanism- and application-oriented inquiry, with citation and keyword patterns appearing consistent with structural consolidation.