Do “Warm Glow” Feelings Promote Green Behavior?

• In Event: Climate Politics, Environmental Policy, and Public Opinion

Abstract

The “warm glow” (WG) effect refers to the anticipation of feeling good after engaging in prosocial behavior. Observational research indicates that WG is a power diver of pro-environmental behaviors, and proponents of WG messaging believe that it has a more lasting effect than appeals based on self-interest/economic motives. Yet prior research on WG has been largely observational, which means that the causal relationship between WG and green behaviors is unclear.

Using a series of experiments that test different WG manipulations, we identify the treatment that most effectively engages this emotional state and examine the effects on a range of green behaviors. We present two main findings. First, an emotion-induction message that reminds individuals of feeling good after doing something for the environment is more effective at triggering warm glow feelings than alternative messages (e.g., scientific facts, third person quotes). Second, the WG feeling induction has statistically significant effects on pro-environmental actions, with the strongest effects for low- vs. high-cost behaviors. We additionally examine how Democrats and Republicans engage differently with pro-environmental behaviors depending on the visibility of actions and the potential for identity signaling. Our study fills an important gap in understanding how intrinsic motivations shape behavior in the climate domain.

Authors

• Jennifer Jerit, Dartmouth College

• Hwayong Shin, Dartmouth College

• Jason Barabas, Dartmouth College