Nonmonotonic effects of subjective social class on pro-environmental engagement

Addressing environmental challenges necessitates collaborative efforts from individuals with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. This article delves into the influence of social class on pro-environmental engagement, employing a comprehensive research approach involving five distinct studies. The investigations encompassed a national representative dataset (Study 1), an online survey (Study 2), and controlled experiments (Studies 3, 4a, & 4b). The consistent findings revealed an inverted-U class effect on pro-environmental engagement, indicating that individuals from the middle-class demonstrated a higher likelihood of engaging in pro-environmental behavior compared to both lower- and upper-class individuals. However, this effect only manifested in a particular form of pro-environmental engagement, namely easily observable good citizenship behavior. To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this nonmonotonic relationship between social class and pro-environmental engagement, we turned to the middle-status anxiety hypothesis. As a result, moral identity symbolization emerged as a psychological foundation that could account for the observed effects. These novel findings contribute significantly to the existing research on environmental engagement and its connection to social class. •Middle-class individuals are more likely to engage in pro-environmental behavior.•Middle-class individuals exhibit a higher level of moral identity symbolization.•Moral identity symbolization positively relates to pro-environmental engagement.•The nonlinear class effect is limited to visible good citizenship behavior.