How will I be remembered? Conserving the environment for legacy's sake

Data files and materials used in the Pilot and Experiment 1 described in the manuscript, "How will I be remembered? Conserving the environment for legacy's sake". Long time horizons and social distance are often viewed as key barriers to pro-environmental action due to intertemporal and interpersonal discounting, particularly in the case of climate change. We suggest that these challenges can be turned into opportunities by making salient relevant long-term goals and motives, thus shifting preferences for present-future and self-other trade-offs at the point of decision-making. Here we test whether individuals’ latent motivation to leave a positive legacy can be leveraged to increase engagement with climate change and other long-term environmental problems. In an initial pilot study, we find that individual differences in legacy motivation are positively associated with pro-environmental behaviors and intentions. In an experiment, we demonstrate that priming legacy motives prior to providing an opportunity to donate to an environmental charity increases donations, as well as self-reported pro-environmental intentions and beliefs.