[font face=Serif][font size=5]Focusing on Lasting Legacy Prompts Environmental Action[/font]

[font size=3]Prompting people to think about the legacy they want to leave for future generations can boost their desire and intention to take action on climate change, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

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Taking steps to address climate change now is the only way to prevent greater environmental harm later on, and yet it can be difficult to get people to rally around the cause because it lacks the immediacy of other urgent policy issues.

“The long time horizon and ambiguity associated with climate change can serve as psychological obstacles to conservation — people think that the negative effects of climate change will be felt far away in time by future others,” says Zaval.

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“Legacy motives may represent a powerful, yet previously understudied tool for promoting engagement, such that simple prompts may effectively promote environmental behavior by framing decisions as ‘win-win’ for both present and future generations,” says Zaval.

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