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DOES CONCERN ABOUT DEATH HELP TO INCREASE DONATIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CHARITIES? EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF MORTALITY SALIENCE ON PRO-ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIORS IN EAST ASIA

Hui Fa

Graduate School of Human Science, Osaka University

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Naoki Kugihara

Food and Nutrition Department, Higashi Chikushi Junior College

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Abstract

The present research comprises three component studies that aimed to provide new insights into improving pro-environmental behaviors in East Asian countries—namely, Japan and China—from the perspective of terror management theory. The purposes of the research were (1) to examine the impact of mortality salience on pro- environmental behaviors in East Asian countries where nature occupies an essential role; and (2) to investigate whether mortality salience can encourage people to allocate more resources to future generations, based on the motivation to create a legacy. After performing the relevant experimental manipulations to induce mortality salience and specify intended beneficiaries, we invited participants to allocate financial resources to various charitable projects. The results of our three studies consistently demonstrated that mortality salience increased environment-related donations in both Japan and China. In accordance with terror management theory, our findings also indicated that mortality salience motivated individuals to behave in ways that meet the standards of their cultural worldview. However, we found no evidence to support the hypothesis that mortality salience can lead to higher donations for future beneficiaries than for present beneficiaries.

Key words: mortality salience, terror management theory, pro-environmental behavior, donation, culture

Attachments:

1107 Final.pdf

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