National identity and environmentalism: why national narcissism might undermine pro-environmental efforts
National identity and environmentalism: why national narcissism might undermine pro-environmental efforts
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Authors
Cisłak-Wójcik, Aleksandra
Wójcik, Adrian D.
Cichocka, Aleksandra
Milfont, Taciano L.
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Date
2024-02-08
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Frontiers in Social Psychology
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2
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1-8
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2024-02-08
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Abstract EN
The extant literature recognizes national identity as a pivotal factor motivating both individual and collective actions to tackle environmental problems. Yet, prior research shows mixed evidence for the relationship between national identity and environmentalism. Here, we propose a theoretical approach that
articulates distinctions between different forms of national identity and their differential associations with environmental attitudes and behaviors. Specifically, we argue that it is key to differentiate national identification, which reflects a positive attachment to one’s country and ties to other compatriots, from
national narcissism, which reflects viewing one’s country as exceptional and deserving of special treatment. In contrast to national identification, national narcissism is consistently associated with lower environmental concern and predicts support for anti-environmental policies. We show that this is likely
due to national narcissism being linked to belief in climate-related conspiracy theories, support for policies that challenge external pressures yet present the nation in a positive light (e.g., greenwashing), and focusing on short-term benefits for the nation. Extending past individual-level findings, we report a pre-
registered analysis across 56 countries examining whether national narcissism is also linked to objective indices of lower environmental protection at the country level of analysis. Results revealed a negative relationship between countries’ environmental performance and country-level national narcissism
(while adjusting for national identification and GDP per capita). We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our approach and the country-level findings for advancing research in the field.
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Keywords PL
Keywords EN
collective narcissism
national identity
conservation
environmental policy
environmental performance
national identity
conservation
environmental policy
environmental performance
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Czy silna identyfikacja może szkodzić grupie? Rola bezpiecznych i defensywnych form identyfikacji w grupą w relacjach wewnątrzgrupowych i realizacji grupowych celów
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