Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-skm99 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-29T03:54:44.665Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Individual-level solutions may support system-level change â if they are internalized as part of one's social identity

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 August 2023

Lina Koppel
Affiliation:
Department of Management and Engineering, Division of Economics, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden lina.koppel@liu.se Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA cer493@nyu.edu ali.javeed@nyu.edu; www.alijaveed.com srathje@alumni.stanford.edu; https://stevenrathje.com/ vlasceanu@nyu.edu; https://www.mvlasceanu.com/
Claire E. Robertson
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA cer493@nyu.edu ali.javeed@nyu.edu; www.alijaveed.com srathje@alumni.stanford.edu; https://stevenrathje.com/ vlasceanu@nyu.edu; https://www.mvlasceanu.com/
Kimberly C. Doell
Affiliation:
Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria kimberlycdoell@gmail.com; http://www.kimdoell.com
Ali M. Javeed
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA cer493@nyu.edu ali.javeed@nyu.edu; www.alijaveed.com srathje@alumni.stanford.edu; https://stevenrathje.com/ vlasceanu@nyu.edu; https://www.mvlasceanu.com/
Jesper Rasmussen
Affiliation:
Department of Political Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark jr@ps.au.dk; https://jesper-rasmussen.github.io/
Steve Rathje
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA cer493@nyu.edu ali.javeed@nyu.edu; www.alijaveed.com srathje@alumni.stanford.edu; https://stevenrathje.com/ vlasceanu@nyu.edu; https://www.mvlasceanu.com/
Madalina Vlasceanu
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA cer493@nyu.edu ali.javeed@nyu.edu; www.alijaveed.com srathje@alumni.stanford.edu; https://stevenrathje.com/ vlasceanu@nyu.edu; https://www.mvlasceanu.com/
Jay J. Van Bavel
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA cer493@nyu.edu ali.javeed@nyu.edu; www.alijaveed.com srathje@alumni.stanford.edu; https://stevenrathje.com/ vlasceanu@nyu.edu; https://www.mvlasceanu.com/ Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, USA jay.vanbavel@nyu.edu; www.jayvanbavel.com Department of Strategy and Management, Norwegian School of Economics, Bergen, Norway

Abstract

System-level change is crucial for solving society's most pressing problems. However, individual-level interventions may be useful for creating behavioral change before system-level change is in place and for increasing necessary public support for system-level solutions. Participating in individual-level solutions may increase support for system-level solutions – especially if the individual-level solutions are internalized as part of one's social identity.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

*

Shared first authorship.

References

Carrico, A. R. (2021). Climate change, behavior, and the possibility of spillover effects: Recent advances and future directions. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 42, 7682. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.03.025CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hagmann, D., Ho, E. H., & Loewenstein, G. (2019). Nudging out support for a carbon tax. Nature Climate Change, 9(6), 484489. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-019-0474-0CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Maki, A., Carrico, A. R., Raimi, K. T., Truelove, H. B., Araujo, B., & Yeung, K. L. (2019). Meta-analysis of pro-environmental behaviour spillover. Nature Sustainability, 2(4), 307315. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-019-0263-9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sparkman, G., Attari, S. Z., & Weber, E. U. (2021). Moderating spillover: Focusing on personal sustainable behavior rarely hinders and can boost climate policy support. Energy Research & Social Science, 78, 102150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2021.102150CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Thøgersen, J., & Noblet, C. (2012). Does green consumerism increase the acceptance of wind power? Energy Policy, 51, 854862. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enpol.2012.09.044.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Truelove, H. B., Carrico, A. R., Weber, E. U., Raimi, K. T., & Vandenbergh, M. P. (2014). Positive and negative spillover of pro-environmental behavior: An integrative review and theoretical framework. Global Environmental Change, 29, 127138. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2014.09.004CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Bavel, J. J., Cichocka, A., Capraro, V., Sjåstad, H., Nezlek, J. B., Pavlović, T., … Boggio, P. S. (2022). National identity predicts public health support during a global pandemic. Nature Communications, 13, 517. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27668-9CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Van der Werff, E., Steg, L., & Keizer, K. (2013). I am what I am, by looking past the present: The influence of biospheric values and past behavior on environmental self-identity. Environment and Behavior, 46, 132. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916512475209Google Scholar
Willis, M. M., & Schor, J. B. (2012). Does changing a light bulb lead to changing the world? Political action and the conscious consumer. The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 644(1), 160190. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716212454831CrossRefGoogle Scholar