Fight or Hide? - The Effects of Climate Shame and Injunctive Social Norms on Environmental Behavior Intention and Depressive Symptoms.

The study aims to explore the interconnections between Climate Norms, Climate Shame, Environmental Behavior Intention (EBI) and depressive symptoms. Given the link between human activities and environmental catastrophes, understanding mechanisms influencing EBI is crucial. Climate emotions, including the underexplored climate shame, play a role. While evidence suggests climate shame promotes EBI, its effects are nuanced. Simultaneously, shame is closely linked to depressive symptoms. Climate shame arises when individuals think they violate climate-related social norms, fearing rejection or exclusion. Social norms have shown to have a positive influence on EBI but no study has investigated the influence in comparison to climate shame and in context of depressive symptoms.