Perspective-taking with affected others to promote climate change mitigation
Autor(en): | Koessler, Ann-Kathrin Heinz, Nicolai Engel, Stefanie |
Stichwörter: | ATTITUDES; climate change; EMPATHY; experiment; FLOOD RISK; HELP; perspective-taking; pro-environmental behavior; Psychology; Psychology, Multidisciplinary; SHOES | Erscheinungsdatum: | 2023 | Herausgeber: | FRONTIERS MEDIA SA | Journal: | FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY | Volumen: | 14 | Zusammenfassung: | Prior evidence suggests that perspective-taking may promote pro-environmental behavior, at least for low-cost behaviors or local environmental problems. Climate change, however, requires costly mitigation efforts and is a global problem. Thus, in this study, we examine whether perspective-taking in the context of climate change is effective in promoting mitigation behaviors, including actual and/or costly behaviors, the mechanisms through which perspective-taking works, and if the distance to the person adversely affected by climate change matters for the effect. We conducted an online experiment with a non-student sample from Germany (n = 557), utilizing a 2 x 2 factorial design, to investigate the impact of perspective-taking and distance on three outcome measures: a climate donation, signing a petition, and approval of mitigation policies. We find that perspective-taking does not promote these mitigation behaviors, yet it raises the degree perspective-takers value and - for close others - feel connected with the affected person. Exploratory analysis shows that dispositional perspective-taking and empathic concern are correlated with mitigation behaviors. |
ISSN: | 1664-1078 | DOI: | 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1225165 |
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