Wrinkles in Time and Drops in the Bucket: Circumventing Temporal and Social Barriers to Pro-Environmental Behavior

Human engagement in pro-environmental action is necessary for mitigating the effects of climate change. However, psychological barriers, such as feeling that the problem is distant in time and that any personal actions would only be a “drop in the bucket,†reduce people’s motivation to engage in pro-environmental behaviors that are essential for the future of the planet but that incur short-term personal costs. In the present study, we drew on theory and research regarding the subjective experience of temporal distance and the effects of social norms on action. We used an experimental methodology in which we presented scientifically predicted outcomes of climate change expected around the year 2100, then manipulated the degree to which these future consequences felt proximal or distant. We also altered whether people perceived pro-environmental action to be normative in society, reasoning that people would be more motivated to take on a subjectively looming threat if they believed they were part of a collective who were also taking action. Results indicated that after considering far-off, large-scale climate outcomes, neither subjective proximity nor social norms were sufficient in isolation to motivate behavior, but in combination, they effectively increased pro-environmental intentions and behavior. Those who were induced to feel that these objectively distant future outcomes were subjectively imminent, and who were also led to believe that pro-environmental behavior was normative, reported more intentions to engage in environmentally responsible behavior, and actually reported more sustainable behaviors in the weeks following the study.