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Subtraction neglect in perceptions of climate action strategies

Suter, Manuel LU ; Nielsen, Kristian Steensen and Berger, Sebastian (2025) In Journal of Environmental Psychology 107.
Abstract

Research suggests that individuals often overlook beneficial subtractive strategies when solving problems. Subtractive strategies, which include reducing demand for goods and services (e.g., reducing car use), have a high climate mitigation potential. Yet, these may be systematically overlooked in favor of additive strategies like adopting new technologies (e.g., buying an electric car). This Registered Report investigates subtraction neglect in the context of personal climate action. When asked to think of the most effective personal climate mitigation actions, does priming people to think about additive and subtractive strategies increase the likelihood that they suggest subtractive climate actions? We investigate this research... (More)

Research suggests that individuals often overlook beneficial subtractive strategies when solving problems. Subtractive strategies, which include reducing demand for goods and services (e.g., reducing car use), have a high climate mitigation potential. Yet, these may be systematically overlooked in favor of additive strategies like adopting new technologies (e.g., buying an electric car). This Registered Report investigates subtraction neglect in the context of personal climate action. When asked to think of the most effective personal climate mitigation actions, does priming people to think about additive and subtractive strategies increase the likelihood that they suggest subtractive climate actions? We investigate this research question via an online experiment conducted in the United Kingdom. Participants who received a brief prompt introducing both strategy types proposed significantly more subtractive actions than those who were not made aware of additive and subtractive strategies. The findings suggest that raising awareness of subtractive strategies can shift attention toward underused yet impactful climate actions.

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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Cognitive bias, Online experiment, Personal climate mitigation, Pro-environmental behavior, Subtraction neglect, Sufficiency
in
Journal of Environmental Psychology
volume
107
article number
102793
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:105018325700
ISSN
0272-4944
DOI
10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102793
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
b3e0670e-9564-49bf-aeef-b9d6d209ec2e
date added to LUP
2026-01-12 15:39:52
date last changed
2026-01-12 15:40:10
@article{b3e0670e-9564-49bf-aeef-b9d6d209ec2e,
  abstract     = {{<p>Research suggests that individuals often overlook beneficial subtractive strategies when solving problems. Subtractive strategies, which include reducing demand for goods and services (e.g., reducing car use), have a high climate mitigation potential. Yet, these may be systematically overlooked in favor of additive strategies like adopting new technologies (e.g., buying an electric car). This Registered Report investigates subtraction neglect in the context of personal climate action. When asked to think of the most effective personal climate mitigation actions, does priming people to think about additive and subtractive strategies increase the likelihood that they suggest subtractive climate actions? We investigate this research question via an online experiment conducted in the United Kingdom. Participants who received a brief prompt introducing both strategy types proposed significantly more subtractive actions than those who were not made aware of additive and subtractive strategies. The findings suggest that raising awareness of subtractive strategies can shift attention toward underused yet impactful climate actions.</p>}},
  author       = {{Suter, Manuel and Nielsen, Kristian Steensen and Berger, Sebastian}},
  issn         = {{0272-4944}},
  keywords     = {{Cognitive bias; Online experiment; Personal climate mitigation; Pro-environmental behavior; Subtraction neglect; Sufficiency}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Environmental Psychology}},
  title        = {{Subtraction neglect in perceptions of climate action strategies}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102793}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102793}},
  volume       = {{107}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}