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Green and Generous: Virtue Signaling Environmentalism and Community-Mindedness from an Evolutionary Perspective
Maryanne L Fisher1, Hidenori Komatsu2, Hiromi Kubota3
1Department of Psychology, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, NS, Canada.
Summary
Both men and women engage in virtue signaling using environmental and community messages. Contrary to hypotheses, men reported higher conspicuous ethical consumption, suggesting status motives influence their signaling behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Virtue signaling, the expression of moral values, has significant implications for social dynamics, status, and relationships.
- Evolutionary psychology has largely overlooked virtue signaling despite its potential importance.
- Understanding virtue signaling is crucial for comprehending human social behavior and motivations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate sex differences in virtue signaling related to environmentalism and community-mindedness.
- To test hypotheses regarding conspicuous ethical consumption and its relation to sex and status motives.
- To explore the link between Big Five personality traits and virtue signaling behaviors across cultures.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed a large international sample (N=20,423) from Canada, Japan, and the USA in 2020.
- Collected self-reported data on virtue signaling, environmentalism, community-mindedness, and ethical consumption.
- Analyzed data to test hypotheses concerning sex differences and personality trait correlations.
Main Results:
- Both sexes reported using environmental and community messages for virtue signaling.
- Men, not women, reported higher engagement in conspicuous ethical consumption, indicating potential status-driven motives.
- Findings partially supported hypothesized links between Big Five personality traits and virtue signaling, with some sex differences observed.
Conclusions:
- Environmental and community-mindedness are common forms of virtue signaling across sexes.
- Status motives may play a significant role in men's conspicuous ethical consumption.
- Further evolutionary analysis of virtue signaling is warranted to understand its adaptive functions.
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