Residents’ Cognition and Behavior Related to Eco-Environmental Risks from the Development of Large Coal Power Plants: A Case Study in Xilinhot, Inner Mongolia

The development of large coal power plants is often accompanied by environmental pollution, thereby influencing the lives of the surrounding residents, resulting in a “not-in-my-backyard” effect and associated social injustice. To mitigate these influences, we conducted field research and questionnaire surveys with individuals living in areas around the Xilinhot coal power plant to explore their cognitive and behavioral psychological changes in response to the environmental risks of the coal power plant and the factors influencing such changes. A “cognition-perception-behavior” model was constructed for residents coping with the ecological environment influenced by the development of the coal power plant. Cognition of eco-environmental risks had a significant effect on the perception of eco-environmental risks which, in turn, significantly promoted the adoption of adaptive behaviors. Residents had a strong cognition and perception of eco-environmental risks but an extremely low likelihood of adopting relevant adaptive behaviors. Thus, affective responses can increase the residents’ cognition and perception of eco-environmental risks, and the communication of risk information can help them evaluate eco-environmental risks rationally.