Research experiment reveals celebrities and politicians may be a ‘missing link’ in mitigating climate change
Psychologists at Cardiff University have revealed new insights into the role of celebrities and politicians in influencing public opinion about low-carbon lifestyles. The paper will be published in the journal Humanities and Social Sciences Communications.
“Behavioral changes are essential to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions: fly less, eat less meat, drive electric cars, make your home more energy efficient, use public transport more quickly. Increased usage, active travel, etc. are some of the most impactful changes we can make, but these choices are proving elusive for the general public. , are rarely encouraged or modeled by people in high positions,” said Dr Steve Westlake from Cardiff University’s School of Psychology, who led the study.
“We wanted to understand the impact of what politicians and celebrities say about climate change and whether it can influence the public to take low-carbon actions.”
Researchers analyzed the views of 1,267 people from across the UK in April 2021 and advocated for action on climate change, either by leading by example or by not leading by example. Measured people’s reactions to their leaders.
Psychologists in Cardiff tested theories about authenticity and embodied leadership to understand how celebrity and political status promote low-carbon lifestyles. They found that when politicians and celebrities lead visibly by example, the British public is significantly more motivated to make these high-impact low-carbon choices.
Dr Westlake said: “We found that leading by example increases people’s willingness to adopt low-carbon behaviors. Not only this, but leading by example increases leaders’ credibility, trustworthiness, competence and Perceptions of likability are greatly increased.Leaders must be trustworthy to: This can be an important discovery because it allows you to lead effectively.
“We also found that there is a strong desire for leadership among the public. People really want their leaders to act first. Our results are tangible through visible low-carbon action. This shows that oriented leadership may provide a critical ‘missing link’ in tackling climate change, because it shows leaders are truly committed to tackling this crisis. Because there is.
“Our results show that when leaders advocate for various forms of climate action, including behavioral change, it is more effective to ‘walk the talk’ by adopting a range of low-carbon actions, which negatively impacts motivation. If not, it indicates that it will give the public.
“Our research shows that celebrities and politicians who lead by example not only reduce their own carbon emissions, but also inspire others to take action and increase their credibility. It shows.”
Further information: Steve Westlake et al., “Leading by example from high-status individuals: Exploring the critical missing link in climate change mitigation,” Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1057/s41599-024-03787-8
Provided by Cardiff University
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