In:
Environment and Behavior, SAGE Publications, Vol. 52, No. 1 ( 2020-01), p. 60-81
Abstract:
Research has found that many people view climate change as a psychologically distant, future threat, which leads them to be less motivated to engage in pro-environmental behavior. Engaging in episodic future thinking (EFT; projecting the self into the future to pre-experience future events) may facilitate the perception of future events as psychologically close, thereby increasing the perceived risk associated with those events. Therefore, engagement in EFT regarding climate change–related risks should induce higher risk perceptions and lead to acting pro-environmentally. In two experiments, we demonstrated that engaging in EFT to pre-experience climate change–related risk events was associated with a higher level of risk perception and a greater tendency toward pro-environmental behavior, including energy-saving use of air-conditioning (Experiment 1), willingness to participate in beach cleaning (Experiment 2), and choice of a meal with lower environmental impact (Experiment 2). The current research provides experimental evidence for an innovative approach to improving public engagement with climate change.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
0013-9165
,
1552-390X
DOI:
10.1177/0013916518790590
Language:
English
Publisher:
SAGE Publications
Publication Date:
2020
detail.hit.zdb_id:
1500133-7
detail.hit.zdb_id:
280662-9
SSG:
5,2
