Mortality Salience Motivates the Defense of Environmental Values and Increases Collective Ecoguilt

Harrison, Patrick R.; Mallett, Robyn K.

doi:10.1089/eco.2012.0070

Cited by 33Death Anxiety and Social ExclusionEnvironmental Education and SustainabilityClimate Change Communication and Perception

Mortality Salience Motivates the Defense of Environmental Values and Increases Collective Ecoguilt

Harrison, Patrick R., Mallett, Robyn K.·2013·Ecopsychology

DOI 10.1089/eco.2012.0070

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Abstract

In highlighting the potentially catastrophic effects of environmentally harmful behavior, proenvironmental campaigns may inadvertently induce what social psychologists call mortality salience. An uncomfortable awareness of one's inevitable demise, mortality salience motivates individuals to act in line with important social values and to feel guilty when they fail to do so. Guilt, in turn, motivates proenvironmental behavior. It is unclear, however, whether individuals who do not value the environment are influenced by such appeals. The present research tests the conditions under which drawing attention to mortality increases environmental guilt (i.e., ecoguilt) among individuals who vary in their endorsement of proenvironmental values. We find that mortality salience increases ecoguilt when individuals who strongly endorse environmental values have those proenvironmental values made salient. In comparison, mortality salience does not influence ecoguilt for individuals who weakly endorse environmental values, regardless of whether environmental values are made salient.

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Harrison and Mallett (2013) found that the MS × Norm salience interaction effect on experiencing environmental guilt only occurred for people who strongly endorsed pro-environmental values.
“In one study, Harrison and Mallett (2013), for example, found that the MS × Norm salience interaction effect on experiencing environmental guilt only occurred for people who strongly endorsed pro-environmental values.”
From Do Salient Social Norms Moderate Mortality Salience Effects? A (Challenging) Meta-Analysis of Terror Management Studies (2023) · cites this paper as Harrison and Mallett, 2013

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Authors: Harrison, P. R., & Mallett, R. K.
Affiliations: Loyola University Chicago (US)
ORCID: Harrison, Patrick R.
Mallett, Robyn K.
Venue: Ecopsychology
Publisher: SAGE Publications
Published: 2013-03
Volume: 5
Issue: 1
Pages: 36-43
ISSN: 1942-9347 (ISSN-L)
DOI: 10.1089/eco.2012.0070
OpenAlex: W2116217362
Cited by: 33
References: 38
Citations by year: 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 1 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 1
FWCI: 2.00
Type: journal article
Language: en
Open access: closed
Licence: www.liebertpub.com/nv/resources-tools/text-and-data-mining-policy/121/ (tdm)
Locations: Ecopsychology (publishedVersion)
Topics: Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Death Anxiety and Social Exclusion
Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law › Environmental Education and Sustainability
Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Climate Change Communication and Perception
Keywords: mortality salience, environmental values, guilt, pro-environmental behavior, environmental campaigns

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Mortality Salience Motivates the Defense of Environmental Values and Increases Collective Ecoguilt

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