Poster by Annalena Schröder¹, Gerhard Reese², Nicole Harth³
¹ University of Applied Sciences Jena, University of Kaiserslautern-Landau, Germany ² Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University Wellington, New Zealand ³ University of Applied Sciences Jena, Germany
TIME: Thursday, 16 July, 12:00 – 13:15
Location: Break Room
Session: Poster Session
Abstract
Emotions are considered important predictors of individual and collective environmental behaviour. Environmental research often shows that women tend to report stronger eco-emotions than men. One possible explanation refers to differences in emotional competencies between genders, which may influence emotional intensity in different ways. Previous research indicates that women, on average, demonstrate higher abilities to perceive, use, understand, and regulate emotions, commonly conceptualized as emotional competencies (EC). Such competencies may enhance individuals’ sensitivity to emotional experiences not only in general but also in environmental contexts and may facilitate the use of these emotions in ways that translate into environmentally protective behavioural responses. Indeed, individuals with greater EC tend to act more environmentally friendly. In a preregistered 14-day daily diary study (N = 173; 1,1734 observations; convenience sample from Germany), we examined the effects of everyday experiences of environmental degradation on emotional reactions and environmental behaviour, while accounting for the role of gender and EC. Specifically, we expected individuals with higher emotional competencies to report higher emotional intensity, greater use of functional emotion regulation strategies, and stronger pro-environmental behaviour. Our findings provide novel insights into the role of EC in emotional engagement with the environmental crisis. We discuss this engagement within broader contexts that shape the distribution of responsibility, care, and emotional labour, drawing on feminist and critical perspectives, as well as their potential as a resource for collective engagement and sustained commitment to socio-ecological transformation.