Urgent changes are needed at both the individual and systemic levels to combat climate change. Individual behavioral changes, particularly transitions from unsustainable to sustainable behaviors, could help mitigate the impacts of climate change and may also contribute to broader system-level changes. Behavioral change theories have primarily focused on cognitive factors, such as social norms and perceived behavioral control, as drivers of behavioral change. However, climate change is also a highly emotional issue. On the one hand, people may feel worried and anxious about climate change, which may motivate pro-environmental behaviors. On the other hand, people may experience positive feelings from acting pro-environmentally, a phenomenon referred to as warm glow. Based on a recently proposed theoretical framework, this warm glow may have the potential to form a positive feedback loop that initiates and sustains pro-environmental behaviors. Specifically, people who anticipate greater warm glow may be more likely to act pro-environmentally and subsequently experience positive feelings as a result of their actions. These experiences could, in turn, lead them to anticipate feeling good about future pro-environmental behaviors, thereby forming a self-reinforcing positive feedback loop. In this dissertation, Linli used multiple methods and research designs to examine this proposed positive feedback loop in behavioral tasks, real-life contexts, and through meta-analytic evidence.

More about Zhou's research

Find Linli’s PhD Chapter here:

• Zhou, L., Brick, C., Sachisthal, M. S., Aldoh, A., & Sauter, D. (2026). Warm glow and pro-environmental behavior: Supportive evidence from behavioral tasks. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 102902.
• Zhou, L., Bosshard, A., Sauter, D., & Brick, C. (2026). Repairing clothes and feeling good: Do positive emotions influence sustainable clothing behaviors? Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, 10, 100264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2026.100264
• Zhou, L., Brick, C., & Sauter, D. (2026). The Link between Warm Glow and Pro-Environmental Behaviors is Positive and Robust: A Scoping Review and Meta-Analysis (Pka7q_v1). PsyArXiv. https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/pka7q_v1/