System Justification, the Denial of Global Warming, and the Possibility of “System-Sanctioned Change”
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19600655 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Irina Feygina (New York University, New York, NY,, corresponding author), John T Jost (0000-0002-2844-4645, New York University, New York, NY), Rachel E Goldsmith (0000-0001-5755-5195, Reed College, Portland, Oregon) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 36 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 326-338 |
| Publication date | 2009-12-15 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0146-1672 • E-ISSN: 1552-7433 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0146167209351435 |
| PMID | 20008965 |
| OpenAlex | W2135568665 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 256 |
| References cited | 55 |
Despite extensive evidence of climate change and environmental destruction, polls continue to reveal widespread denial and resistance to helping the environment. It is posited here that these responses are linked to the motivational tendency to defend and justify the societal status quo in the face of the threat posed by environmental problems. The present research finds that system justification tendencies are associated with greater denial of environmental realities and less commitment to pro-environmental action. Moreover, the effects of political conservatism, national identification, and gender on denial of environmental problems are explained by variability in system justification tendencies. However, this research finds that it is possible to eliminate the negative effect of system justification on environmentalism by encouraging people to regard pro-environmental change as patriotic and consistent with protecting the status quo (i.e., as a case of "system-sanctioned change"). Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed
Action (physics) · Climate change · Conservatism · Denial · Environmental ethics · Environmentalism · Face (sociological concept) · Ideology · Political science · Politics · Resistance (ecology) · Social science · Sociology · Status quo · Status quo bias · System Justification · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Environmental Education and Sustainability · Law · Psychology · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology
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| Unique citing works | 256 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 16 |
| Citation span | 2010 - 2026 (17) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | Yes |
| Citation types | Neutral: 246 |