Evidence for motivated control? Climate change related distress is positively associated with domain-specific efficacy beliefs and climate action

IF 7 1区心理学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Journal of Environmental Psychology Pub Date : 2025-08-05 DOI:10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102695

Daniel Hanss , Charles A. Ogunbode , Rouven Doran , Johanna E. Renkel , Helena Müller , Mai Albzour , Rahkman Ardi , Arin Ayanian , Aydın Bayad , Karlijn L. van den Broek , JohnBosco C. Chukwuorji , Violeta Enea , Mai Helmy , Mehmet Karasu , Kehinde Aderemi Ojewumi , Samuel Lins , Michael J. Lomas , Winfred Mbungu , Ginés Navarro-Carrillo , Charles Onyutha , Radha Yadav

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Abstract

Recent cross-sectional and experimental research has found measures of climate change related distress to be positively associated with measures of efficacy beliefs. Authors of some of these studies have interpreted this finding in terms of motivated control, that is, people who experience climate change related distress are motivated to believe that they can help mitigate climate change. We extend this notion of motivated control by assuming that efficacy beliefs flowing from climate change related distress play a role in encouraging climate action. In two cross-sectional studies, we investigate this assumption: Study 1 used data from a multi-country study and found that negative emotions regarding climate change were positively associated with climate action and both individual and collective efficacy. Furthermore, we found evidence for an indirect effect of negative emotions on climate action via efficacy beliefs (individual and collective). Study 2 conceptually replicated this mediation effect, using data from a sample of citizens in Germany and a different measure of distress, focusing on climate change worry. Additional exploratory analyses revealed that the association with individual efficacy was stronger for more adaptive forms of climate change worry, compared to less adaptive forms. We conclude that our findings provide correlational support for motivated control being one of the psychological processes – and efficacy beliefs being one of the person-level factors – that account for adaptive behavioral reactions to climate change related distress. Experimental and longitudinal studies are needed to further substantiate this conclusion.

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动机控制的证据？气候变化相关焦虑与特定领域效能信念和气候行动呈正相关

最近的横断面和实验研究发现，气候变化相关的痛苦与效能信念的测量呈正相关。其中一些研究的作者从动机控制的角度解释了这一发现，也就是说，经历气候变化相关痛苦的人有动机相信他们可以帮助缓解气候变化。我们通过假设从气候变化相关的痛苦中产生的效能信念在鼓励气候行动中发挥作用，扩展了动机控制的概念。在两项横断面研究中，我们调查了这一假设：研究1使用了来自多国研究的数据，发现与气候变化有关的负面情绪与气候行动以及个人和集体效能呈正相关。此外，我们还发现了负面情绪通过效能信念（个人和集体）间接影响气候行动的证据。研究2从概念上复制了这种中介效应，使用了来自德国公民样本的数据和不同的痛苦衡量标准，重点关注气候变化担忧。额外的探索性分析显示，与适应性较差的气候变化担忧形式相比，适应性较强的气候变化担忧形式与个体效能的关联更强。我们的结论是，我们的研究结果为动机控制作为心理过程之一和效能信念作为个人层面的因素之一提供了相关支持，这些因素解释了对气候变化相关痛苦的适应性行为反应。实验和纵向研究需要进一步证实这一结论。

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来源期刊

Journal of Environmental Psychology Multiple-

CiteScore

10.60

自引率

8.70%

发文量

140

审稿时长

62 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Environmental Psychology is the premier journal in the field, serving individuals in a wide range of disciplines who have an interest in the scientific study of the transactions and interrelationships between people and their surroundings (including built, social, natural and virtual environments, the use and abuse of nature and natural resources, and sustainability-related behavior). The journal publishes internationally contributed empirical studies and reviews of research on these topics that advance new insights. As an important forum for the field, the journal publishes some of the most influential papers in the discipline that reflect the scientific development of environmental psychology. Contributions on theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects of all human-environment interactions are welcome, along with innovative or interdisciplinary approaches that have a psychological emphasis. Research areas include: •Psychological and behavioral aspects of people and nature •Cognitive mapping, spatial cognition and wayfinding •Ecological consequences of human actions •Theories of place, place attachment, and place identity •Environmental risks and hazards: perception, behavior, and management •Perception and evaluation of buildings and natural landscapes •Effects of physical and natural settings on human cognition and health •Theories of proenvironmental behavior, norms, attitudes, and personality •Psychology of sustainability and climate change •Psychological aspects of resource management and crises •Social use of space: crowding, privacy, territoriality, personal space •Design of, and experiences related to, the physical aspects of workplaces, schools, residences, public buildings and public space