The world needs less plastic: the role of psychological distance and self-efficacy in environmental messages
This study examines the role of lowering psychological distance and increasing self-efficacy around plastic pollution through environmental media messages. Participants (N = 215) were randomly assigned to watch a short video (30–60 s) that was either generalized or localized to the state of the part...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Communication |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1579912/full |
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| author | Kathryn E. Cooper Laurel Brinkerhoff Kristen D. Landreville Kristen D. Landreville |
| author_facet | Kathryn E. Cooper Laurel Brinkerhoff Kristen D. Landreville Kristen D. Landreville |
| author_sort | Kathryn E. Cooper |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study examines the role of lowering psychological distance and increasing self-efficacy around plastic pollution through environmental media messages. Participants (N = 215) were randomly assigned to watch a short video (30–60 s) that was either generalized or localized to the state of the participant’s residency and that did or did not include a self-efficacy message in this 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment. Results indicate that message localization lowers psychological distance and including self-efficacy messages increase self-efficacy. Both led to increased message-consistent attitudes and thus increased behavioral intentions to reduce plastic waste and promote the same behaviors in others. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-caf71c9a61e54bb49b51c986c77edc20 |
| institution | Matheson Library |
| issn | 2297-900X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Communication |
| spelling | doaj-art-caf71c9a61e54bb49b51c986c77edc202025-07-31T14:17:01ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Communication2297-900X2025-07-011010.3389/fcomm.2025.15799121579912The world needs less plastic: the role of psychological distance and self-efficacy in environmental messagesKathryn E. Cooper0Laurel Brinkerhoff1Kristen D. Landreville2Kristen D. Landreville3School of Media and Journalism, Kent State University, Kent, OH, United StatesDepartment of Communication and Journalism, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United StatesDepartment of Communication and Journalism, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United StatesGenetic Engineering and Society Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, United StatesThis study examines the role of lowering psychological distance and increasing self-efficacy around plastic pollution through environmental media messages. Participants (N = 215) were randomly assigned to watch a short video (30–60 s) that was either generalized or localized to the state of the participant’s residency and that did or did not include a self-efficacy message in this 2 × 2 between-subjects experiment. Results indicate that message localization lowers psychological distance and including self-efficacy messages increase self-efficacy. Both led to increased message-consistent attitudes and thus increased behavioral intentions to reduce plastic waste and promote the same behaviors in others.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1579912/fullplastic pollutionpsychological distancelocalized messagingself-efficacytheory of planned behavior |
| spellingShingle | Kathryn E. Cooper Laurel Brinkerhoff Kristen D. Landreville Kristen D. Landreville The world needs less plastic: the role of psychological distance and self-efficacy in environmental messages Frontiers in Communication plastic pollution psychological distance localized messaging self-efficacy theory of planned behavior |
| title | The world needs less plastic: the role of psychological distance and self-efficacy in environmental messages |
| title_full | The world needs less plastic: the role of psychological distance and self-efficacy in environmental messages |
| title_fullStr | The world needs less plastic: the role of psychological distance and self-efficacy in environmental messages |
| title_full_unstemmed | The world needs less plastic: the role of psychological distance and self-efficacy in environmental messages |
| title_short | The world needs less plastic: the role of psychological distance and self-efficacy in environmental messages |
| title_sort | world needs less plastic the role of psychological distance and self efficacy in environmental messages |
| topic | plastic pollution psychological distance localized messaging self-efficacy theory of planned behavior |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2025.1579912/full |
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