New Environmental Theories: Empathizing With Nature: The Effects ofPerspective Taking on Concern for Environmental Issues

TLDR

The article argues that environmental concern is tied to how much people see themselves as part of the natural world. The authors conducted two studies: one mapping the structure of environmental concern, and another testing a perspective‑taking manipulation on different concern dimensions. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric factors, and the perspective‑taking manipulation significantly raised biospheric concern compared to an objective control.

Abstract

In this article, I propose that concern for environmental problems is fundamentally linked to the degree to which people view themselves as part of the natural environment. Two studies are reported that test aspects of this theory. The first study describes the structure of people's concern for environmental problems. Results from a confirmatory factor analysis showed a clear three‐factor structure, which I labeled egoistic, altruistic, and biospheric. A second study examined the effects of a perspective‐takingmanipulation on egoistic, social‐altruistic, and biospheric environmental concerns. Results showed that participants instructed to take the perspective of an animal being harmed by pollution scored significantly higher in biospheric environmental concerns than participants instructed to remain objective.