Psychological and Neurocognitive Processes Underlying Pro-Environmental Decision-Making Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)
Tackling CO₂ emissions isn’t just a technological challenge—it’s a psychological one (Gifford, 2011). This highlights the significance of understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying individuals’ pro-environmental decision and encourages researchers to investigate what hinder individuals adopt environmentally responsible lifestyles. Research in sustainability suggests that pro-environmental decisions are often involve a trade-off between self-oriented benefits (e.g., saving personal cost) and abstract, other-oriented benefits (e.g., preserving natural resources) (Gladwin et al., 1995). However, little empirical evidence about how individuals navigate this trade-off when making real-world decisions. To explore this, the present research integrates behavioral tasks involving real monetary decision with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to uncover the psychological and neurocognitive process underlying pro-environmental decision-making. Specifically, Study 1 examines whether pro-environmental decision involving underlying mechanism with self-oriented or other-oriented (e.g., prosocial) behavior. Building on these findings, Study 2 further investigates whether goal framing—a widely used communication strategy—can modulate these neural mechanisms and thereby influence pro-environmental decision-making. By capturing not only what people choose but also how they process, this approach offers deeper understanding of “how people make pro-environmental choices”. Such insights are expected to inform the development of more effective behavioral interventions and public messaging strategies.
