Perceived Moral Motivation and Willingness to Participate in Eco-villages: The Moderating role of Shared Identity

Taylar, Zeynep (2025) Perceived Moral Motivation and Willingness to Participate in Eco-villages: The Moderating role of Shared Identity. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

As environmental challenges intensify, alternative living communities such as eco-villages have emerged to mitigate the ecological impact of human activity. This field study examines the psychological factors influencing individuals’ willingness to participate in eco-villages, with a focus on the local community’s perception of eco-villagers' moral motivations and the role of shared identity. A sample of 178 participants was surveyed. to examine how their perceptions influence their willingness to participate in a local eco-village and how shared identity between the local community and ecovillage participants affects this relationship. It was hypothesized that perceived moral motivation would be negatively correlated with willingness to participate, in line with the "do-gooder derogation effect," and that shared identity would weaken this negative relationship. Results revealed significant main effects of both perceived moral motivation and shared identity on willingness to participate. Specifically, higher levels of perceived moral motivation were associated with lower willingness to participate, while higher levels of shared identity were associated with greater willingness to participate. However, no supporting evidence was found on the role of shared identity as a moderator. The findings contribute to the existing body of literature by supporting the "do-gooder derogation effect" and highlight the importance of shared identity in fostering group cohesion. The non-significant interaction effect may be due to methodological limitations or the small sample size. Future research should further investigate methodological design and explore diverse settings to enhance generalizability. Keywords: eco-villages, perceived moral motivation, shared identity, willingness to participate, do-gooder derogation effect

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisor name:	Kok, C.A.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	None [Bachelor Psychology]
Date Deposited:	21 Feb 2025 12:57
Last Modified:	26 Feb 2025 11:37
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4690

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