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Self-construals and environmental values in 55 cultures

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posted on 2023-06-10, 05:36 authored by Hamish Duff, Vivian VignolesVivian Vignoles, Maja Becker, Taciano L Milfont
Environmentalism is influenced by views of the self. In past research, individuals who saw themselves as more interdependently connected to others expressed greater environmental concern than those who saw themselves as more independent from others. Yet, cross-cultural evidence is limited. In this pre-registered study, we tested how seven ways of being interdependent or independent correlated with environmental values among 7279 members of 55 cultural groups from 33 nations. Consistent with our predictions, environmental values were strongly associated with several forms of interdependent self-construal, supporting parallels between self–other and self–nature relations. Specifically, two interdependent forms of self-construal showed consistent cross-cultural correlations: those who saw themselves as more connected to others and those who emphasized commitment to others above self-interest were more likely to endorse the value of looking after the environment. Extending previous conceptions, one way of being independent correlated reliably with environmentalism: those who saw themselves as consistent across contexts were also more likely to endorse environmental values. Multilevel moderation analysis indicated that commitment to others had stronger correlations with environmental values in nations with greater environmental performance and national development. We conclude that improving social connectedness and cohesion, alongside the protection of natural ecosystems, may be imperative for tackling the global climate crisis.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Journal of Environmental Psychology

ISSN

0272-4944

Publisher

Elsevier

Volume

79

Page range

a101722 1-12

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2022-12-06

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2022-12-05

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