Exposure to victim portrayals: the role of multiple emotions in influencing collective action intentions for environmental justice

Hang Lu ()
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Hang Lu: University of Michigan

Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 2021, vol. 11, issue 4, No 3, 548-560

Abstract: Abstract Environmental justice is a complex issue requiring joint efforts from various actors, including collective action from the general public. Echoing an urgent call for greater attention to environmental justice in the field of environmental communication, the current research examined one possible way to motivate collective action for environmental justice, that is, via the portrayals of victims and the emotions the portrayals convey. An experiment with a 2 (victim’s photo: presence vs. absence) × 2 (industry’s intent: presence vs. absence) between-subjects factorial design was conducted. The results show that emotions, including moral outrage, compassion, and distress, mediated the effects of the photo condition on collective action intentions. These findings contribute to the literature by connecting victim portrayals with collective action, expanding the array of message-induced emotions in predicting collective action, and furthering the investigation of collective action in the environmental justice context.

Keywords: Victim portrayal; Compassion; Moral outrage; Collective action; Environmental justice (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1007/s13412-020-00660-3

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