TY - JOUR

T1 - Defeminizing Sustainability

T2 - How to Boost Men’s Motivation for Proenvironmental Behavior

AU - Hällfritzsch, Maria

AU - Volpi, Lucia

AU - Daniel, Kenneth G.

AU - Somogyi, Csenge

AU - Kause, Astrid

AU - Reese, Gerhard

AU - Loschelder, David D.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2024 American Psychological Association

PY - 2024

Y1 - 2024

N2 - While recent studies found women frequently behaving more sustainably than men, few studies investigated interventionsmotivatingmen to act (more) proenvironmentally. According to the precarious manhood hypothesis, men may be less motivated because they consider sustainability as a feminine attribute threatening their male identity. We conducted a pilot study (N= 165) to determine which proenvironmental behaviors are indeed perceived as more feminine versus masculine. Two subsequent preregistered main studies (N1= 281, N2= 226) tested experimental interventions designed to motivate men to behave more proenvironmentally in a 4 (condition)× 3 (time:T1 vs. T2 vs. T3) design. Male participants were randomly assigned to either a control or to one of two intervention conditions. The intervention conditions attempted to motivate men to behave more proenvironmentally with pictures and self-reflection exercises. In Study 1, the pictures consisted of men engaging in (a) feminine behaviors (e.g., wearing a dress) or (b) feminine sustainable behaviors (e.g., picking up trash). In the intervention conditions, men’s scores increased for some sustainability measures. Replicating prior studies, however, women generally scored higher than men on all sustainability measures, regardless of condition. In Study 2, our updated interventions consisted of a dynamic norm message and pictures of men engaging in allegedly (a) feminine (e.g., buying regional food) or (b) masculine (e.g., installing water-efficient appliances) sustainable behaviors. Men in both intervention conditions significantly increased their proenvironmental behavioral intentions from T1 to T2. Mediation analyses suggest that antifemininity explained the gender disparity in sustainability in both studies.

AB - While recent studies found women frequently behaving more sustainably than men, few studies investigated interventionsmotivatingmen to act (more) proenvironmentally. According to the precarious manhood hypothesis, men may be less motivated because they consider sustainability as a feminine attribute threatening their male identity. We conducted a pilot study (N= 165) to determine which proenvironmental behaviors are indeed perceived as more feminine versus masculine. Two subsequent preregistered main studies (N1= 281, N2= 226) tested experimental interventions designed to motivate men to behave more proenvironmentally in a 4 (condition)× 3 (time:T1 vs. T2 vs. T3) design. Male participants were randomly assigned to either a control or to one of two intervention conditions. The intervention conditions attempted to motivate men to behave more proenvironmentally with pictures and self-reflection exercises. In Study 1, the pictures consisted of men engaging in (a) feminine behaviors (e.g., wearing a dress) or (b) feminine sustainable behaviors (e.g., picking up trash). In the intervention conditions, men’s scores increased for some sustainability measures. Replicating prior studies, however, women generally scored higher than men on all sustainability measures, regardless of condition. In Study 2, our updated interventions consisted of a dynamic norm message and pictures of men engaging in allegedly (a) feminine (e.g., buying regional food) or (b) masculine (e.g., installing water-efficient appliances) sustainable behaviors. Men in both intervention conditions significantly increased their proenvironmental behavioral intentions from T1 to T2. Mediation analyses suggest that antifemininity explained the gender disparity in sustainability in both studies.

KW - antifemininity

KW - gender difference

KW - gender role norms

KW - sustainability

KW - Management studies

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85207717741&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1037/mot0000371

DO - 10.1037/mot0000371

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:85207717741

JO - Motivation Science

JF - Motivation Science

SN - 2333-8113

ER -