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On attitudes toward humanity and climate change: the effects of humanity-esteem and self-transcendence values on environmental concerns

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 18:01 authored by Wing-Yee Cheung, Michelle LukeMichelle Luke, Gregory R Maio
In climate change communications, do attitudes towards humans influence pro-environmental action? If so, does it depend on endorsement of self-transcendence values? Two experiments examined these questions by assessing the effects of activating positive (vs. negative) humanity esteem on environmental motives, personal moral norms, and behavioural intentions to protect the environ- ment. The experiments tested whether the effects of humanity esteem depend on individuals’ self-transcendence values. Results indi- cated that among people who endorse self-transcendence values less strongly, those in the positive (vs. negative) humanity-esteem condition had lower ecocentrism (Experiment 1) and weaker personal norms, which led to weaker behavioural intentions to protect the environment (Experiment 2). In contrast, across the two humanity-esteem conditions, people who more strongly endorsed self- transcendence values showed stronger ecocentrism, personal moral norms, and behavioural intentions to protect the environment. Thus, for people with weaker self-transcendence values, portrayals of humanity play a role in people’s engagement with environmen- tal causes.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

European Journal of Social Psychology

ISSN

0046-2772

Publisher

John Wiley & Sons

Issue

5

Volume

44

Page range

496-506

Department affiliated with

  • Business and Management Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2014-08-27

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