Avoidance, rationalization, and denial: Defensive self-protection in the face of climate change negatively predicts pro-environmental behavior

Despite urgent need for climate action, denial of change and resulting absence appropriate pro-environmental behavior are widespread. Interpretive (recognition as a problem but re-interpretation its severity) implicatory psychological, political, moral implications) can be interpreted self-protective strategies people use to protect the self in face threat. However, research has not integrated individual into one comprehensive measure. The present aimed at reviewing existing literature constructing Climate Self-Protection Scale (CSPS) make climate-relevant defensive self-protection measurable. In Study 1, N = 354 Germans responded pool items. Using exploratory main axis analysis, we identified five factors, corresponding rationalization own involvement, avoidance, personal outcome severity, global guilt. 2 (N 453 Germans) used confirmatory factor analysis verify five-factorial structure CSPS. Self-protective were positively related with each other (except avoidance guilt) fit framework interpretive (denial (rationalization, guilt). They male gender right-wing political orientation, negatively various indicators pro-environmentalism. This provides evidence criterion construct validity future research, scale could tool examine further.