Towards a psychology of collective challenges: investigating social and societal influences on climate action

Sabherwal, Anandita (2024) Towards a psychology of collective challenges: investigating social and societal influences on climate action. PhD thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science.

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Abstract

Investigating the effectiveness of media literacy interventions is essential to identify the most promising programmes. This 2022 systematic evidence review, guided by the PRISMA guideline, aimed to collect and synthesize scientific evidence on effective media literacy intervention programmes across different target groups and the used frameworks. A comprehensive search across major scientific databases (Web of Science, Scopus, ProQuest, Communication & Mass Media Complete, and Education Resources Information Centre) and rigorous screening and coding processes identified 119 studies on media literacy intervention effectiveness and outcomes. This review offers valuable insights into the current state of media literacy intervention research, emphasizing the importance of considering diverse target groups and exploring a wide range of outcomes to enhance our understanding of these interventions' impact. Environmental psychology has made considerable progress in uncovering the determinants of pro-environmental action. Yet, these explanations remain largely focussed on individual-level processes, often obscuring the role of social interactions, institutions, and power relations in enabling or deterring behaviour. Addressing this gap, the present thesis examined the nexus of interpersonal, social, organizational, and societal influences that shape (in)action on climate change. The empirical chapters systematically investigated barriers to individual climate action posed at four levels—interpersonal interactions, political group membership, organisations, and socio-political systems. Chapter 3 found that environmental actors’ influence is contingent on the motives attributed to them. Environmental actors driven by status-seeking motives were disliked by observers, while those driven by pro-environmental motives bolstered observer’s climate policy support and action intentions. Broadening the inquiry to political groups, Chapter 4 found that intersectional environmentalism can fuel political polarisation. The intersections between the Indian Farmers’ Protest and the climate movement enhanced climate attitudes and action intentions among Indians who supported the Farmers’ Protest but lowered them among Indians who opposed the Farmers’ Protest. In the context of organisations, Chapter 5 contended that to promote pro-environmental behaviour among employees, organisations require a coherent culture that fosters environmental sustainability across their operations. To systematically assess and enhance organisational culture, Chapter 5 developed and validated the Environmental Culture in Organisations (ECO) framework and measurement scale. Finally, Chapter 6 examined how individuals respond to systemic entities’ inaction on climate change. Government inaction prompted compensatory responses, increasing individuals’ pro-environmental behaviour. However, it also disengaged individuals from climate citizenship actions, potentially restricting their contributions to the private sphere. Taken together, this work suggests that as individuals face increasingly complex challenges, the drivers of their (in)action must be traced in broader social and societal contexts. Accordingly, the findings expand the scope of behaviour change interventions from targeting individual-level processes (downstream), to midstream and upstream interventions that alter individuals’ choice environments, and aspects of their structural and societal surroundings.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD)
Additional Information:	© 2024 Anandita Sabherwal
Library of Congress subject classification:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Sets:	Departments > Psychological and Behavioural Science
Supervisor:	Shreedhar, Ganga and Reader, Tom W.
URI:	http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/id/eprint/4748

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