Background

Decentering is a component of mindfulness where one removes themselves from the center of a situation and witnesses it from a more objective and less personal perspective. Given that climate change is a global threat that is already impacting mental health, decentering may be a process that allows individuals to directly respond to this threat by avoiding common experiences such as eco-anxiety. 

Aims

Climate change response was measured through defensive responses including denial and scapegoating and adaptive responses including collective action and identification. It was hypothesized that those with higher levels of decentering would have lower levels of defensive responses and higher levels of adaptive responses.  We also tested whether negative mood and self-compassion would significantly mediate the relationship between decentering and climate response.

Method

Participants (n=193) were recruited from a university in the southeastern region of the United States.   Mean age was 19.35 (SD = 1.94) and 80% of the sample was female.  Decentering was assessed and afterwards participants read an article that discussed the region’s vulnerability to climate change. Then, participants completed the remaining survey questions: how they would respond to climate change, their mood, and their level of self-compassion.  Social desirability was assessed as well.

Results

A hierarchical regression indicated that decentering was not related to maladaptive climate responding, but was significantly associated with two adaptive climate responses: collective action (β = .178 , t  = 2.09 , p = .038) and spiritual identification (β = .151 , t  = 2.13, p = .035).  Negative mood, but not self-compassion, was found to significantly mediate the relationship between decentering and collective action (z= -2.24, p= .025).

Conclusion

Our findings show that individuals who are higher in decentering are more likely to report being motivated to engage in positive environmental action when responding to climate change. Techniques that enhance decentering, such as meditation, should be encouraged, as such techniques would benefit the individual and the larger global community.