Secure human attachment can promote support for climate change mitigation

Attachment theory is an ethological approach to the development of durable, affective ties between humans. We propose that secure attachment is crucial for understanding climate change mitigation, because the latter is inherently a communal phenomenon resulting from joint action and requiring collective behavioral change. Here, we show that priming attachment security increases acceptance (Study 1: n = 173) and perceived responsibility toward anthropogenic climate change (Study 2: n = 209) via increased empathy for others. Next, we demonstrate that priming attachment security, compared to a standard National Geographic video about climate change, increases monetary donations to a proenvironmental group in politically moderate and conservative individuals (Study 3: n = 196). Finally, through a preregistered field study conducted in the United Arab Emirates (Study 4: n = 143,558 food transactions), we show that, compared to a message related to carbon emissions, an attachment security–based message is associated with a reduction in food waste. Taken together, our work suggests that an avenue to promote climate change mitigation could be grounded in core ethological mechanisms associated with secure attachment.

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Support for climate change mitigation can be promoted by secure human attachment

10.31234/osf.io/j7n4h ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Claudia F Nisa ◽

Jocelyn Belanger ◽

Birga Mareen Schumpe ◽

Edyta Sasin

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Attachment Security ◽

Secure Attachment ◽

National Geographic ◽

Climate Change Study ◽

Nationally Representative ◽

Mitigate Climate Change ◽

Change Mitigation

Attachment is an ethological approach to the development of durable affective ties betweenhumans. We propose that secure attachment is crucial to understand climate change mitigationbecause the latter is inherently a communal phenomenon resulting from joint action, and requiring collective behavioral change. Here we show that secure (vs. insecure) attachment is associated with a higher willingness to pay taxes and prices to mitigate climate change (Study 1 N=1006 U.S. nationally representative sample). We also establish that priming attachment security increases acceptance (Study 2 N=173) and perceived responsibility about anthropogenic climate change (Study 3 N=209). Next, we show that priming attachment security, compared to a standard National Geographic video about climate change, increases monetary donations to a proenvironmental group in politically moderate and conservative individuals (Study 4 N=196). Lastly, in a preregistered field study conducted in the United Arab Emirates involving 130 nationalities (Study 5 N=143,558 food transactions), we show that an attachment-based message reduces food waste compared to a message related to carbon emissions. Our work suggests that a new avenue to promote climate change mitigation could be grounded in core ethological mechanisms associated with secure attachment.

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Tourism and Climate Change Mitigation, a Focus on Behavioral Change in Air Travel

Volume 5 - 2020, Issue 9 - September - International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology ◽

10.38124/ijisrt20jul331 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (7) ◽

pp. 1469-1476

Author(s):

Komukama Grace

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Behavioral Change ◽

Carbon Dioxide Emissions ◽

Climate Change Mitigation ◽

Behavioral Changes ◽

Aviation Industry ◽

Technological Advancement ◽

The Earth ◽

Online Databases ◽

Change Mitigation

It is undisputable that tourism has grown since the last decades and is the main source of foreign exchange for most developing countries. This growth is partially attributable to technological advancements in the aviation industry which has eased transportation from one region to another. However tourism contribution to carbon dioxide emissions through air transport is alarming with the sector contributing 40% of the overall carbon print and therefore if immediate remedies are not undertaken the earth system may go in a state where it may never recover. The aim of the paper therefore is to point out how behavioral change is the immediate solution for reduction in climate change emissions especially those originating from the aviation industry, since reliance on the technological advancement is mythical. Content analysis was used to conduct the study by using the crucial keywords in three online databases and 17,966 results were analyzed. Findings indicate that behavioral change is the immediate remedy for climate change mitigation. This is coupled with the fact that most air customers are living in denial and yet governments and the aviation industry lack commitment to controlling climate change. Therefore, if any tangible reduction is to be achieved in climate change emanating from aviation industry, there is need for realistic measures from both the governments and the aviation sector in order to encourage individual behavioral changes.

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