Drawing attention to global climate change decreases support for war
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Three studies showed that focus on the shared human threat of global climate change can encourage peaceful coexistence and discourage support for war in the face of existential threat. In Study 1, mortality salience (MS) increased Americans ’ support for international peace-building after imagining the consequences of global climate change, but not after imagining a localized catastrophe. Conversely, in Study 2, MS increased Americans ’ support for war against Iran after imagining a localized catas-trophe, but imagining global climate change completely eliminated this effect. Study 3 was conducted among Arab citizens of Israel during the January 2009 Israeli invasion of Gaza. For those high in perceptions of shared humanity, MS increased support for peaceful coexistence with Israeli Jews after imagining global climate change but not a localized catastrophe that would affect both Muslims and Jews. Taken together, these studies suggest that reminders of global climate change short-circuit the increased support for violence that often occurs in response to existential threat and increase support for peaceful reconciliation.
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In one study, mortality salience increased Americans' militaristic attitudes towards Iran when participants imagined a localized catastrophe, but not when participants were reminded of global warming.
“In one study, MS increased Americans' militaristic attitudes towards Iran when participants imagined a localized catastrophe, but not when participants were reminded of global warming.”
From An Appreciative View of the Brighter Side of Terror Management Processes (2015) · cites this paper as [62]
In a third study among Arab participants in Israel during the January 2009 Israeli invasions of Gaza, mortality salience increased support for peaceful coexistence with Israeli Jews among those who imagined global warming and had high perceptions of common humanity.
“Additionally, a third study, conducted among Arab participants in Isreal during during the January 2009 Israeli invasions of Gaza, showed that mortality salience increased support for peaceful coexistence with Israeli Jews among those who imagined global warming and had high perceptions of common humanity.”
From An Appreciative View of the Brighter Side of Terror Management Processes (2015) · cites this paper as [62]
In a second study, when participants were reminded of global warming, mortality salience increased support for international peacemaking.
“In a second study, when participants were reminded of global warming, MS increased support for international peacemaking.”
From An Appreciative View of the Brighter Side of Terror Management Processes (2015) · cites this paper as [62]
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“[62] tested whether a common threat eliminates the effect of mortality salience on increased out-group hostility, and whether MS can encourage a positive relationship between subordinate groups when they face a common threat.”
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- Authors
- Pyszczynski, T., Motyl, M., Vail, K. E., Hirschberger, G., Arndt, J., & Kesebir, P.
- Affiliations
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs (US)
- University of Illinois Chicago (US)
- University of Missouri (US)
- Reichman University (IL)
- University of Wisconsin–Madison (US)
- Venue
- Peace and Conflict: Journal of Peace Psychology
- Published
- 2012-11
- Volume
- 18
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 354-368
- ISSN
- 1078-1919 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-7949
- OpenAlex
- W1981577212
- Cited by
- 44
- References
- 38
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 3 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 3
- FWCI
- 6.28
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- papers.ssrn.com
- Locations
- Peace and Conflict Journal of Peace Psychology (publishedVersion)
- SSRN Electronic Journal (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Climate Change Communication and Perception
- Keywords
- climate change, mortality salience, war support, existential risk, shared humanity, Arab citizens of Israel, reconciliation
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