Changing oneself and then changing the world: The role of regulatory fit in identity change with implications for environmental activism
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2009
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| Online Access: | http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1243694931 |
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ndltd-OhioLink-oai-etd.ohiolink.edu-osu12436949312021-08-03T05:56:05Z Changing oneself and then changing the world: The role of regulatory fit in identity change with implications for environmental activism Pfent, Alison Marie Psychology Identity Self Regulatory Fit Activism Environmentalism Environmental Activism Activist Identity When people develop activist identities they are more likely to engage in activism on behalf of a group or ideal, but what causes people to take on these consequential identities is not well-understood. In this dissertation, I examine how people start to think of themselves as activists after performing a single activist behavior. Three studies tested the effects of experiencing regulatory fit or non-fit while signing an environmentally friendly petition on the extent to which people felt like environmental activists. In Chapter 2, results from Study 1 showed that people who experienced regulatory non-fit felt more like environmental activists than people who experienced regulatory fit. Results from Study 2 showed the same pattern among people who had previously signed a petition on behalf of an environmental cause. In Chapter 3, I propose that people who feel committed to a cause will use that information to interpret the meaning of regulatory fit and non-fit, leading to different interpretations of their behavior than people who do not feel committed. Study 3 included a manipulation of commitment. Results showed that among people in the commitment condition who signed the petition, those who experienced non-fit felt more like environmental activists than those who experienced fit. Together, these studies suggest that preexisting beliefs about the self influence how people interpret the experiences of regulatory fit and non-fit, with implications for identity. In Chapter 4, I discuss implications for regulatory focus theory, the development of identities outside the domain of activism, and a more general model of inferring self-perceptions from behavior. 2009-09-03 English text The Ohio State University / OhioLINK http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1243694931 http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1243694931 unrestricted This thesis or dissertation is protected by copyright: all rights reserved. It may not be copied or redistributed beyond the terms of applicable copyright laws. |
| collection |
NDLTD |
| language |
English |
| sources |
NDLTD |
| topic |
Psychology Identity Self Regulatory Fit Activism Environmentalism Environmental Activism Activist Identity |
| spellingShingle |
Psychology Identity Self Regulatory Fit Activism Environmentalism Environmental Activism Activist Identity Pfent, Alison Marie Changing oneself and then changing the world: The role of regulatory fit in identity change with implications for environmental activism |
| author |
Pfent, Alison Marie |
| author_facet |
Pfent, Alison Marie |
| author_sort |
Pfent, Alison Marie |
| title |
Changing oneself and then changing the world: The role of regulatory fit in identity change with implications for environmental activism |
| title_short |
Changing oneself and then changing the world: The role of regulatory fit in identity change with implications for environmental activism |
| title_full |
Changing oneself and then changing the world: The role of regulatory fit in identity change with implications for environmental activism |
| title_fullStr |
Changing oneself and then changing the world: The role of regulatory fit in identity change with implications for environmental activism |
| title_full_unstemmed |
Changing oneself and then changing the world: The role of regulatory fit in identity change with implications for environmental activism |
| title_sort |
changing oneself and then changing the world: the role of regulatory fit in identity change with implications for environmental activism |
| publisher |
The Ohio State University / OhioLINK |
| publishDate |
2009 |
| url |
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1243694931 |
| work_keys_str_mv |
AT pfentalisonmarie changingoneselfandthenchangingtheworldtheroleofregulatoryfitinidentitychangewithimplicationsforenvironmentalactivism |
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