How Human Exceptionalist Assumptions Impact Environmental Attitudes in Low Socioeconomic Urban Communities in Colombia

Children growing up in the Global South are disproportionally affected by the climate crisis, but at the same time, they have the potential to become pivotal actors in promoting environmental conservation. It is therefore crucial to understand the factors influencing their conservation attitudes toward nature. This study examined the role of exceptionalist assumptions on moral judgments about environmental harm in children and adults growing up in Bogotá, Colombia, a city highly impacted by the environmental crisis. Third graders, seventh graders, and adults (<i>n</i> = 32 per group) were interviewed regarding their judgments of two transgressions (animal mistreatment and energy waste) before and after exposure to exceptionalist assumptions that emphasized the importance of human interests. They were also asked to provide justifications for their judgments and reasons why someone would choose to prevent those transgressions. Our findings reveal that participants judged both transgressions less negatively after exposure to exceptionalist assumptions. When justifying their judgments, they tended to focus more on the transgression’s impacts on human welfare (i.e. anthropocentric) and less on the welfare and intrinsic value of non-human nature (i.e. biocentric). This pattern was more pronounced among undergraduates than third graders, especially in the context of animal mistreatment. Regarding reasons for preventing transgressions, in the case of animal mistreatment, participants emphasized protecting non-human nature, while in the case of energy waste, they focused on economic and human welfare consequences. Overall, these findings suggest that human exceptionalism might reduce environmental attitudes, which should be considered when designing strategies to foster shifts toward sustainable lifestyles.