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Stress influences environmental donation behavior in men
Silja Sollberger1, Thomas Bernauer2, Ulrike Ehlert1
1Department of Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Psychoneuroendocrinology
|November 8, 2015
Summary
Acute stress increases environmental donation frequency in individuals with low pro-environmental orientation, but reduces donation amounts. High pro-environmental orientation mitigates these stress effects.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Environmental Science
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Stress impacts prosocial behavior, but moderating factors like context and motives are key.
- Environmental donation behavior serves as a proxy for prosocial actions.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate how acute stress influences environmental donation behavior.
- Examine the moderating roles of pro-environmental orientation and donation decision stage.
Main Methods:
- Recruited male participants with high/low pro-environmental orientation.
- Administered a social stress test or control condition, measuring salivary cortisol.
- Assessed donation frequency and amount to a climate foundation.
Main Results:
- Stress increased donation frequency only in low pro-environmental orientation individuals.
- Donation decisions in this group correlated with cortisol response and mood repair.
- Stress decreased donation amounts for all participants who chose to donate.
Conclusions:
- Acute stress may activate self-serving motivations, potentially mitigated by strong pro-environmental orientation.
- Stress influences prosocial behavior differently based on individual orientation and decision context.
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