Defensive Denial and High Cost Prosocial Behavior

Two studies were conducted to test the defensive denial hypothesis proposed by Schwartz. According to that hypothesis, holding prosocial norms will not increase prosocial behavior in situations in which the prosocial behavior in question has high personal costs, because those holding prosocial norms will redefine the situation as inappropriate for norm activation. The two studies conducted tested this hypothesis within the context of the problem of energy conservation. In each study subjects were presented with descriptions of the energy situation varying in the degree to which they suggested that energy conservation involved high personal costs. In Study 1 the effect of this presentation on beliefs about the energy situation was assessed, while in Study 2 the effect on both beliefs and behavioral intentions was examined. Study 1 found evidence of the hypothesized belief redefinition, with individuals judging the energy situation to be less serious when the personal costs of energy conservation were made more salient. Study 2 found evidence for the hypothesized effect upon behavioral intentions: moral appeals to conserve energy increased the intent to conserve when the personal costs of such behavior were low, but were ineffective in changing behavioral intentions when personal costs were high. Examination of beliefs indicated that this effect on behavioral intentions was mediated by belief redefinition.