Feelings for the Suffering of Others and the Environment: Compassion Fosters Proenvironmental Tendencies

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Feelings for the Suffering of Others and the Environment: Compassion Fosters Proenvironmental Tendencies. / Pfattheicher, Stefan; Sassenrath, Claudia; Schindler, Simon.
In: Environment and Behavior, Vol. 48, No. 7, 01.08.2016, p. 929-945.

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@article{148a4a04112a4d1d961af1d9d32e7728,
title = "Feelings for the Suffering of Others and the Environment: Compassion Fosters Proenvironmental Tendencies",
abstract = "Recent research has shown that compassionate feelings for the suffering environment promote conservation of nature. We extend this notion and relate compassion for suffering humans to proenvironmental tendencies. The proposed relation should hold true as compassion elicits moral actions and judgments across different moral domains which should also be applicable to the environment. Therefore, we expect compassion for other humans to relate positively to proenvironmental tendencies. Two studies were conducted to test this assumption. Study 1 included three independent samples (final N = 2,096) and several measures of proenvironmental tendencies. Results revealed that compassion was indeed positively related to proenvironmental values, proenvironmental intentions, and reported donations to nature or environmental organizations. In Study 2, we experimentally tested and found a causal path between compassion for humans and proenvironmental intentions. Implications for climate change and protection of nature are discussed.",
keywords = "compassion, conservation, environment, environmental concern, morality, proenvironmental tendencies, Psychology",
author = "Stefan Pfattheicher and Claudia Sassenrath and Simon Schindler",
year = "2016",
month = aug,
day = "1",
doi = "10.1177/0013916515574549",
language = "English",
volume = "48",
pages = "929--945",
journal = "Environment and Behavior",
issn = "0013-9165",
publisher = "SAGE Publications Inc.",
number = "7",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Feelings for the Suffering of Others and the Environment

T2 - Compassion Fosters Proenvironmental Tendencies

AU - Pfattheicher, Stefan

AU - Sassenrath, Claudia

AU - Schindler, Simon

PY - 2016/8/1

Y1 - 2016/8/1

N2 - Recent research has shown that compassionate feelings for the suffering environment promote conservation of nature. We extend this notion and relate compassion for suffering humans to proenvironmental tendencies. The proposed relation should hold true as compassion elicits moral actions and judgments across different moral domains which should also be applicable to the environment. Therefore, we expect compassion for other humans to relate positively to proenvironmental tendencies. Two studies were conducted to test this assumption. Study 1 included three independent samples (final N = 2,096) and several measures of proenvironmental tendencies. Results revealed that compassion was indeed positively related to proenvironmental values, proenvironmental intentions, and reported donations to nature or environmental organizations. In Study 2, we experimentally tested and found a causal path between compassion for humans and proenvironmental intentions. Implications for climate change and protection of nature are discussed.

AB - Recent research has shown that compassionate feelings for the suffering environment promote conservation of nature. We extend this notion and relate compassion for suffering humans to proenvironmental tendencies. The proposed relation should hold true as compassion elicits moral actions and judgments across different moral domains which should also be applicable to the environment. Therefore, we expect compassion for other humans to relate positively to proenvironmental tendencies. Two studies were conducted to test this assumption. Study 1 included three independent samples (final N = 2,096) and several measures of proenvironmental tendencies. Results revealed that compassion was indeed positively related to proenvironmental values, proenvironmental intentions, and reported donations to nature or environmental organizations. In Study 2, we experimentally tested and found a causal path between compassion for humans and proenvironmental intentions. Implications for climate change and protection of nature are discussed.

KW - compassion

KW - conservation

KW - environment

KW - environmental concern

KW - morality

KW - proenvironmental tendencies

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84977561121&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1177/0013916515574549

DO - 10.1177/0013916515574549

M3 - Journal articles

AN - SCOPUS:84977561121

VL - 48

SP - 929

EP - 945

JO - Environment and Behavior

JF - Environment and Behavior

SN - 0013-9165

IS - 7

ER -

DOI

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