Fight or Flight: How Advertising for Air Travel Triggers Moral Disengagement

Abstract

Advertising frequently promotes environmentally detrimental consumption choices such as air travel. To date, the effects of these ads on individuals' moral evaluation of unsustainable behaviors are still little understood. This study with a quota-based sample in Germany (N = 199) explored whether individuals morally disengage from the harmfulness of flying due to ad exposure. Based on the theory of moral disengagement (Bandura, 2016, Moral disengagement: How people do harm and live with themselves. Worth Publishers), we investigated whether individuals neglect negative consequences, seek moral justification or displace responsibility for flying behaviors after seeing flight advertising. The results suggested that individuals low in climate change concern become more neglectful of the consequences of flying, while climate change concerned individuals exhibited the opposite reaction. Irrespective of individuals' level of climate change concern, ad exposure increased recipients' displacement of responsibility to other actors. Moreover, we found a correlation between mechanisms of moral disengagement and flying intentions as well as support for aviation policies.

Reconfiguring Aviation for a Climate-Safe Future: Are Airlines Sending the Wrong Message?

“…Airline marketing thus represents a system component that should be subject to substitution via state intervention. It is also likely that counter-campaigns by NGOs or government actors, as in the case of tobacco, are needed to counter the persuasive attempts of advertisers to build and perpetuate volume demand for carbon intensive products (Stubenvoll and Neureiter 2021).…”

“…Airline marketing through social media and frequent flier membership communications are key components of the aviation production system (Stubenvoll and Neureiter, 2021). Airports have also played a part in the replacement of labour with technology in the form of automated check-ins, electronic scanning and automated luggage systems (Young 2019).…”

“…• Victim locus: Responsibility is displaced to resolve the tension between detrimental consumption and self-perception. Stubenvoll and Neureiter (2021) provide empirical evidence that airline marketing creates wilful neglect of the social and environmental impacts of air travel, particularly among those with low levels of climate concern. They urge the need for "counter-campaigns by NGOs or government actors… to help individuals to build more resistance against the persuasive attempts of advertisers for carbon intensive products" (Stubenvoll and Neureiter 2021:15).…”

“…Constructing a false sense of anxiety induces frenzy, panic and 'fear of missing out' on the part of the consumer, and is conducive to moral disengagement (Stubenvoll and Neureiter 2021).…”

“…Airline operations have driven down production costs through technological replacement and depersonalization of the air travel experience, migration to online booking and customer service, and minimization of passenger services (Duval 2013). Airline marketing through social media and frequent flier membership communications are key components of the aviation production system (Stubenvoll and Neureiter 2021). Airports have also played a part in the replacement of labour with technology in the form of automated check-ins, electronic scanning, and automated luggage systems (Young 2019).…”