Perspective-taking with affected others to promote climate change mitigation

Ann-Kathrin Koessler; Nicolai Heinz; Stefanie Engel

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1225165

Perspective-taking with affected others to promote climate change mitigation

Front Psychol. 2023 Sep 28:14:1225165. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1225165. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Ann-Kathrin Koessler^{1

2}, Nicolai Heinz^{1

2

3}, Stefanie Engel²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Environmental Planning, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
² School of Business Administration and Economics and Institute for Environmental Systems Research (IUSF), Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany.
³ Environmental Politics, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Leipzig, Germany.

Abstract

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.

Keywords: climate change; empathy; experiment; perspective-taking; pro-environmental behavior.

Grants and funding

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.