Effects of matching climate change appeals to personal values

Sci Rep. 2024 Mar 13;14(1):6128. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-56631-z.

Abstract

The stronger people hold self-enhancing (that is, egoistic or hedonic) values, the less they tend agree with pro-environmental efforts. An exploratory (N = 901) and a confirmatory study (N = 404) examined the effectiveness of pro-environmental messages matched to individuals' values. Findings indicate that strong endorsement of self-transcendent (that is, altruistic or biospheric) values is associated with unspecific endorsement of pro-environmental messages, while individuals endorsing self-enhancement values respond positively only to value-matched appeals.

MeSH terms

  • Altruism*
  • Climate Change*
  • Humans