title: Past Actions as Self-Signals: How Acting in a Self-Interested Way Influences Environmental Decision Making.
abstract: In the last few decades, awareness of environmental issues has increased significantly. Little has changed, however, in human activities contributing to environmental damage. Why is it so difficult for us to change our behavior in a domain that is clearly so important to the future of humanity? Here we propose and test the possibility that self-signaling, the way we view ourselves based on our past behaviors, is one of the factors contributing to the difficulty of taking environmental action. In three experiments, we show that previous self-interested thoughts or behaviors serve as important signals that hinder the likelihood of acting in line with an individual's reported concern for the environment. This study not only helps explain the gap between environmental awareness and action, but also suggests alternative strategies for policymakers and environmental agencies to promote proenvironmental behavior.
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Hindsight, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United State of America.
authors.forename: Chang-Yuan
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Israel.
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hochman
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Hindsight, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United State of America.
authors.forename: Steven E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Prince
authors.affiliation: Center for Advanced Hindsight, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United State of America.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ariely
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D012649:Self Concept; D012919:Social Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires