TY - JOUR
T1 - Imagining a Positive Future
T2 - Desirability and Possibility as Possible Pathways to Hope and Commitment to Collective Action
AU - Wenzel, Michael
AU - Love, Joy
AU - Thomas, Emma F.
PY - 2024/9
Y1 - 2024/9
N2 - We investigate if and how imagining a positive future where a societal issue has been rectified can promote hope and support for collective action. Participants imagined (vs. not) a positive future related to climate change (Study 1, N = 301) and economic equality (Study 2, N = 489), two years versus several decades from now. In both studies, imagining a positive future led to support for collective action via increased hope. In Study 1, imagination increased the perceived possibility of achieving the collective goal, in Study 2 it increased its perceived desirability. Possibility was positively related to hope, in particular when imagining a near future, whereas desirability of the collective goal was positively related to hope for a distant imagined future. The research provides evidence for the power of imagination in inspiring hope and collective action, and shows the shifting meaning of hope depending on collective action context and timeframe of the imagination.
AB - We investigate if and how imagining a positive future where a societal issue has been rectified can promote hope and support for collective action. Participants imagined (vs. not) a positive future related to climate change (Study 1, N = 301) and economic equality (Study 2, N = 489), two years versus several decades from now. In both studies, imagining a positive future led to support for collective action via increased hope. In Study 1, imagination increased the perceived possibility of achieving the collective goal, in Study 2 it increased its perceived desirability. Possibility was positively related to hope, in particular when imagining a near future, whereas desirability of the collective goal was positively related to hope for a distant imagined future. The research provides evidence for the power of imagination in inspiring hope and collective action, and shows the shifting meaning of hope depending on collective action context and timeframe of the imagination.
KW - collective action
KW - construal level theory
KW - hope
KW - imagination
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85201521239&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/ARC/DP200101921
U2 - 10.1177/02762366241268146
DO - 10.1177/02762366241268146
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85201521239
SN - 0276-2366
VL - 44
SP - 5
EP - 37
JO - Imagination, Cognition and Personality
JF - Imagination, Cognition and Personality
IS - 1
ER -