Despite widespread concern about climate change, people rarely talk about environmental issues. However, talking about these issues is crucial for promoting pro-environmental change. Therefore, it is essential to understand what hinders such conversations. We propose that feelings of hypocrisy are a significant factor contributing to this silence, especially when advocating for individual-level change as opposed to system-level change. Advocating for individual-level change spotlights one’s own actions. Most people, however, do not always act on their pro-environmental convictions. Knowing that hypocrites are generally detested and called out quickly, people may anticipate that others will see them as hypocrites if they advocate for individual-level change but do not practice pro-environmental behavior themselves. In contrast, these concerns may be much less pressing when advocating for system-level change. Discussing system change shifts focus away from personal responsibility and individual-level actions. To investigate this hypothesis, we will conduct a multi-national online study. Ultimately, our findings may help encourage more discussions about environmental issues in everyday life.
Team
Supervisor: Tabea Hoffmann
Communication Officer: Nurlana Ismayilzada
Funding Officer: Georgia Petridou
Open Science Officer: Neža Hrovat
Data Collection Officer: Anja Heske
Writing Officer: Maria Ilie-Niculescu
Data Analysis Officer: Lukas Braun
Project Administration: Elena Manchorova