How guilt and shame shape environmental decisions

A new study takes a deeper look at how our decisions about the environment are governed by feelings of shame and guilt.

Previous studies have shown that feelings of shame and guilt are often perceived as triggers when people need to solve environmental problems.

The main conclusion of the new study is that people who are more environmentally conscious are more likely to feel guilty when they fail to live up to their high environmental standards.

At the same time, people who do not care about the environment feel ashamed of their non-participation.

“People who care deeply about the environment feel guilty for not doing enough, as they bear a high responsibility for their actions and the impact on the environment. Meanwhile, people who don’t care tend to be embarrassed by the lack of interest and action on environmental issues, which are often brought up during public debates, “explains Rikke Sigmar Nielsen, author of in the subject of the study.

The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with 18 Danes, representing a diverse segment of the population in terms of gender, educational background, age, place of residence, and level of commitment.

Among the participants who were most concerned about being environmentally friendly, sustainability and environmental care played an important role in their daily lives, a concern for which they had many supporting principles. behavior. However, they felt guilty from time to time. Indeed, there were certain things that complicated their desire to do the best for the environment.

“One participant said that finding jeans at a thrift store can be a challenge. Because of that, sometimes he ended up buying new ones,” says Nielsen. “Although he had a principle not to buy new clothes, he compromised every time when making a stable choice was very difficult.

“One participant felt guilty about his frequent travel by camping van, which relies on more fuel and waste than trains, for example. Although he justified it by saying that a person needs to live life and that seeing the world is also important. ”

On the other hand, those who are less interested in the environment and less concerned about the environment felt that the increasing public focus on the issue of climate, environment and sustainability can be too much at times. . They often cited lack of time and money as reasons for not making environmentally sound choices.

“Environmental issues were not a big concern in their daily lives, and they generally felt that the whole climate and environment debate was overblown. However, they were still embarrassed in public because they were aware that others might think they had the wrong idea or they were filling their shopping carts with items. wrong,” explains Nielsen.

A new study contributes to a deeper understanding of how feelings of guilt and shame influence people’s everyday environmental decisions. The research helps explain why some respond to environmental issues with guilt or shame and how these feelings can lead to different actions.

This new knowledge can be used by government agencies in the creation of policies, strategies, and communications to promote good environmental behavior.

“The results can help policymakers and organizations create more effective campaigns and political initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable behavior,” says Nielsen.

The study also opens a wide discussion about whether it is acceptable according to moral and ethical rules to send guilt and shame as tools of environmental communication. At the same time, according to the researcher, care should be taken when using guilt and shame to motivate people, as doing so can have unexpected consequences.

“Shaming often leads to resistance and cynicism rather than positive behavior change. And that’s not where we want to go. But some people—who are concerned about environmental issues— sometimes they may use their feelings of guilt and shame as a kind of moral compass to motivate them to behave in a more consistent way. So, these feelings are complex and need to must be taken seriously if we want to encourage pro-environmental behaviour,” concludes Nielsen.

Source: University of Copenhagen