Intrinsic Value Framing and Consensus Increase Commitment to Radical Action to Protect the Environment

Moral conviction reflects an absolute stance about an issue and is linked to both conventional and radical action. We suggest that moral conviction can arise from ascribing intrinsic value to the environment (Study 1) and non-human animals (Study 2) and, therefore, affect conventional and radical action – but the latter primarily where there is consensus about the sharedness of those values. Two experiments ( N = 238, 166) examined effects of intrinsic value framing, and presence/absence of value consensus, on moral conviction, and commitment to conventional or radical action. In Study 1, an intrinsic (vs. extrinsic) value frame increased moral conviction which predicted conventional and radical action, irrespective of consensus. In Study 2, moral conviction predicted radical and – unexpectedly – conventional action only when consensus was present. The findings provide new insights into when people take radical and conventional action to protect animals and the environment, and into what can intensify moral conviction.