Encouraging Pro-Environmental Behaviors Through Children-Based Appeals: A Kin Selection Perspective

Abstract

Environmental problems are due to the fact of humans prioritizing their narrow personal interests over collective interests. How can pro-environmental behavior be promoted without requiring people to behave in ways that go against their selfish tendencies? Kin selection theory asserts that humans are predisposed to ensure the survival and replication of their genes which they share with their offspring. We hypothesized that appeals to the welfare of their children would foster pro-environmental decision-making through activating a parental care motivation. Four studies examined the impact of messages about the welfare of (potential) children on environmental intentions. Overall, the results show that children-based appeals indirectly fostered ecological intentions through an increased parental care motivation. Furthermore, meta-analyses triangulated these findings by showing that people with children show greater parental care and pro-environmental intentions. These results are discussed in light of the kin selection theory, and its implications for environmental policymaking are addressed.

The Salience of Children Increases Adult Prosocial Values

“…Overall, these findings indicate that the salience of children elicits higher prosocial motivation and behavior in adults, and this effect emerges across different settings and a range of demographic variables. From a broader perspective, these findings go beyond previous evidence supporting links between (one's own) children and compassion (e.g., Bleske-Rechek et al, 2010;Palomo-Vélez et al, 2020) and point to a broad link between mental representations of children per se and prosocial values and behavior in adults (e.g., Best, 1993;Burkart & van Schaik, 2010;Snowdon & Cronin, 2007). Moreover, the finding that child salience effects emerge across demographic variables is consistent with observations that the caretaker role in human societies is shared among group members (Hrdy, 2005) such that parents and nonparents develop similar motivations linked with children.…”

“…More generally, children and adults with neonatal facial features elicit greater empathy and helping behavior (Keating et al, 2003;Lishner et al, 2008), and they trigger protective and caretaking motivations toward them (Bleske-Rechek et al, 2010;Glocker et al, 2009). Further evidence suggests that making suffering children or parenthood salient is linked with higher risk aversion (Gilead & Liberman, 2014;Lu & Schuldt, 2016;Palomo-Vélez et al, 2020) and stronger rejections of norm violations (Eibach et al, 2009), both of which likely stand in the service of protecting one's own children from harm. Collectively, these findings suggest that adults are motivated to help and protect their own children and children needing help.…”

Experiences of Student–Mothers during Distance Learning: A Sociobiological Perspective

“…Sociobiologists also predict that helping decreases with kinship distance in what known as kin selection theory. Kin selection theory asserts that humans are predisposed to ensure the survival and replication of their genes which they share with their offspring [46] Caring and helping is evident when it involves children, parents, spouses, or other close relations. This sociobiological perspective is evident in the narratives of the student-mothers; whether they said that they wanted to finish studies or wanted to work, this shows deep care and affection.…”

The Influence of Various Role Models on Children’s Pro-environmental Behaviours

“…Although the environment is the cornerstone of human existence, many people do not exhibit either the awareness or the behaviours to protect it ( Gifford and Nilsson, 2014 ), which directly affects the quality of human life ( Hamzah, 2013 ). Therefore, the cultivation of pro-environmental behaviours among individuals in society, especially at a young age, is crucial ( Kos et al, 2016 ; Chankrajang and Muttarak, 2017 ; Wu, 2018 ; Charry and Parguel, 2019 ; Palomo-Vélez et al, 2020 ; Pearce et al, 2021 ; Zeiske et al, 2021 ). Environmental education is the most effective tool available to raise awareness of future challenges regarding the environment and the ways to protect it ( Heidari and Heidari, 2015 ).…”