The Role of Self-Transcendent Emotions and Empathy in Motivating Nonprofit Audiences Toward Social and Environmental Issues

Abstract

This study examined the role of self-transcendent emotions in increasing motivation to solve social and environmental problems. It investigated how self-transcendent emotions and empathy predict individuals' problem recognition, constraint recognition, involvement recognition, and in turn, situational motivation in problem solving for two hot-button issues—climate change and immigration. A 2 (emotions: self-transcendent vs. control) × 2 [issue: social (immigration) vs. environmental (climate change)] experimental study (N = 520) found that self-transcendent emotions increased empathy, which significantly influenced problem recognition, constraint recognition, and involvement recognition, as well as situational motivation. Theoretical and practical implications for nonprofit organisations are discussed.