16.02.2026 New Publication in the Journal of Economic Psychology: "Natural disasters, environmental values, and the importance of politics: Empirical evidence from worldwide survey data"

In this study, Sven Fischer and LeeAnn Patterson investigate how the exposure to natural disasters affects environmental values and politicization.  The paper titled “Natural disasters, environmental values, and the importance of politics: Empirical evidence from worldwide survey data" has been published in the Journal of Economic Psychology (JOEP). 

Main findings:

• Greater disaster exposure is positively associated with pro-environmental values. Increases in the number of individuals affected by natural disasters are linked to stronger pro-environmental attitudes.
• The relationship varies across world regions. Effects are heterogeneous, suggesting that local context matters significantly.
• Income level, regime type, and cultural value orientations moderate the relationship. Institutional and socioeconomic conditions shape how disaster experiences translate into values.
• Environmental values mediate political engagement. Mediation analyses show that environmental values help explain why disaster exposure is associated with a higher reported importance of politics. 

The paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joep.2026.102890