The Psychology of Environmental Activism: The Role of Responsibility and Distance Framings

Environmental activism and climate change engagement have been the focus of much recent research, paralleling the looming climate crisis which is an existential threat faced by humanity. Previous studies utilised different frames to motivate pro-environmental intentions and behaviour, but collective environmental action has not been examined to the same extent. The thesis begins with a review of theories and evidence about environmental activism in general, followed by a more focussed review of the role of psychological distance. Although past research presented theoretical models of environmental activism, some of the key determinants of pro-environmentalism were yet to be examined in these frameworks, such as moral foundations, sense of responsibility, and psychological distance. In order to address these gaps in previous literature the present thesis used four experiments with British participants to investigate how various framings could motivate environmental activism. Across four experiments (Studies 1-4) integrated collective action models were also tested. Specifically, Study 1 examined the effect of ingroup and outgroup responsibility for environmental degradation on activism intentions. Highlighting ingroup responsibility did not lead to changes in activism intentions whereas some evidence for moral defensiveness was found. Studies 2 and 3 compared proximal and distal framings of climate change impacts in determining climate activism intentions. The results provided weak evidence about the interaction of distance framings by political ideology such that right-wing ideology was linked to either dismissiveness or boomerang effect in response to proximal framings. Study 4 tested whether presenting air pollution frame is more effective than climate change frame in diminishing political polarisation collective action variables and reducing psychological distance. The results did not fully replicate prior studies and showed that air pollution frame was equally effective in motivating environmental activism among conservatives on outcomes except for perceived distance. The results are discussed in light of sample characteristics and the cross-12 cultural differences in boomerang effects concerning climate change communication. The integrated path model failed to provide a good fit across Studies 1-4 as well as across different experimental conditions although model tests revealed consistent connections between certain variables. Support for system reform and participative efficacy were distal and proximal predictors of activism intentions, whereas the effect of collective emotions was not as prominent and differed across studies.