TY - JOUR

T1 - Perspective-taking with affected others to promote climate change mitigation

AU - Koessler, Ann Kathrin

AU - Heinz, Nicolai

AU - Engel, Stefanie

N1 - Funding Information: Funding and support for this research have been received from the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation, the Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation in the framework of the Alexander von Humboldt-Professorship held by SE and endowed by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, as well as from the Department of Environmental Politics, the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research in Leipzig, Germany. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or manuscript preparation. The publication of this article was funded by the Open Access Fund of Leibniz Universität Hannover.

PY - 2023/9/28

Y1 - 2023/9/28

N2 - 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 × 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.

AB - 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 × 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.

KW - climate change

KW - empathy

KW - experiment

KW - perspective-taking

KW - pro-environmental behavior

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85174143507&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1225165

DO - 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1225165

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85174143507

VL - 14

JO - Frontiers in psychology

JF - Frontiers in psychology

SN - 1664-1078

M1 - 1225165

ER -