Journal
PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN
Volume 36, Issue 3, Pages 326-338Publisher
SAGE PUBLICATIONS INC
DOI: 10.1177/0146167209351435
Keywords
system justification; denial; environmental attitudes; conservation behavior; ideology
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Despite extensive evidence of climate change and environmental destruction, polls continue to reveal widespread denial and resistance to helping the environment. It is posited here that these responses are linked to the motivational tendency to defend and justify the societal status quo in the face of the threat posed by environmental problems. The present research finds that system justification tendencies are associated with greater denial of environmental realities and less commitment to pro-environmental action. Moreover, the effects of political conservatism, national identification, and gender on denial of environmental problems are explained by variability in system justification tendencies. However, this research finds that it is possible to eliminate the negative effect of system justification on environmentalism by encouraging people to regard pro-environmental change as patriotic and consistent with protecting the status quo (i.e., as a case of system-sanctioned change). Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available