From detached to alarmed: How eco-emotion profiles predict concern and sacrifice for the planet.
The rapid degradation of the environment is one of our greatest challenges in the 21st century. To avoid the worst consequences, human behavior change is required. The current study investigated how feelings about environmental problems (eco-emotions) predict concern for the natural environment and...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2025-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325916 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849686312295071744 |
|---|---|
| author | Andreas K Jäger Donald W Hine |
| author_facet | Andreas K Jäger Donald W Hine |
| author_sort | Andreas K Jäger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The rapid degradation of the environment is one of our greatest challenges in the 21st century. To avoid the worst consequences, human behavior change is required. The current study investigated how feelings about environmental problems (eco-emotions) predict concern for the natural environment and willingness to make sacrifices for it. Using a cross-sectional online sample of 286 New Zealand residents, latent profile analysis identified three profile groups with distinct patterns of eco-emotions: emotionally-detached (40%), emotionally-ambivalent (34%), and empathic-alarmed (26%). Validation analyses revealed that members of the empathic-alarmed segment reported significantly higher levels of environmental concern and willingness to make sacrifices for the environment than members of the emotionally-ambivalent segment, who in turn expressed greater concern and willingness to sacrifice than members of the emotionally-detached segment. Findings from this study suggest that inducing a combination of negative eco-emotions with compassion may be effective for promoting environmental concern and pro-environmental sacrifice. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-94fd32eb7ec4468d8c66c187f0193404 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-94fd32eb7ec4468d8c66c187f01934042025-08-20T03:22:45ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032025-01-01206e032591610.1371/journal.pone.0325916From detached to alarmed: How eco-emotion profiles predict concern and sacrifice for the planet.Andreas K JägerDonald W HineThe rapid degradation of the environment is one of our greatest challenges in the 21st century. To avoid the worst consequences, human behavior change is required. The current study investigated how feelings about environmental problems (eco-emotions) predict concern for the natural environment and willingness to make sacrifices for it. Using a cross-sectional online sample of 286 New Zealand residents, latent profile analysis identified three profile groups with distinct patterns of eco-emotions: emotionally-detached (40%), emotionally-ambivalent (34%), and empathic-alarmed (26%). Validation analyses revealed that members of the empathic-alarmed segment reported significantly higher levels of environmental concern and willingness to make sacrifices for the environment than members of the emotionally-ambivalent segment, who in turn expressed greater concern and willingness to sacrifice than members of the emotionally-detached segment. Findings from this study suggest that inducing a combination of negative eco-emotions with compassion may be effective for promoting environmental concern and pro-environmental sacrifice.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325916 |
| spellingShingle | Andreas K Jäger Donald W Hine From detached to alarmed: How eco-emotion profiles predict concern and sacrifice for the planet. PLoS ONE |
| title | From detached to alarmed: How eco-emotion profiles predict concern and sacrifice for the planet. |
| title_full | From detached to alarmed: How eco-emotion profiles predict concern and sacrifice for the planet. |
| title_fullStr | From detached to alarmed: How eco-emotion profiles predict concern and sacrifice for the planet. |
| title_full_unstemmed | From detached to alarmed: How eco-emotion profiles predict concern and sacrifice for the planet. |
| title_short | From detached to alarmed: How eco-emotion profiles predict concern and sacrifice for the planet. |
| title_sort | from detached to alarmed how eco emotion profiles predict concern and sacrifice for the planet |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0325916 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andreaskjager fromdetachedtoalarmedhowecoemotionprofilespredictconcernandsacrificefortheplanet AT donaldwhine fromdetachedtoalarmedhowecoemotionprofilespredictconcernandsacrificefortheplanet |