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. 2024 Apr 17;11(4):231632.
doi: 10.1098/rsos.231632. eCollection 2024 Apr.

Why care for humanity?

Lukas Reinhardt  1   2   3 , Harvey Whitehouse  1
Affiliations

Why care for humanity?

Lukas Reinhardt et al. R Soc Open Sci. .

Abstract

Some of the most pressing challenges facing our planet-such as climate change, biodiversity loss, warfare and extreme poverty-require social cohesion and prosocial action on a global scale. How can this be achieved? Previous research suggests that identity fusion-a strong form of group cohesion motivating prosocial action-results from perceptions of shared personally transformative experiences or of common biological essence. Here, we present results from two studies with United States samples exploring each pathway to identity fusion on a global scale. Study 1 focused on globally shared motherhood experiences and found that US mothers were more fused with women around the world if they shared motherhood experiences with them, which was also reflected in money allocation behaviour. Study 2 showed that exposure to a talk about globally shared biology increased fusion with humanity at large, Americans and the extended family suggesting that fusion with humanity does not need to weaken fusion with nation or extended family. We discuss implications of our results for future research on bonding with humanity at large and for addressing collective action problems on a global scale.

Keywords: fusion; humanity; identity.

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Conflict of interest statement

We declare we have no competing interests.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
(a) Fusion and (b) money allocations. (a) captures fusion levels with the four target groups for subjects who are mothers (red bars) and subjects who are not mothers (blue bars). (b) captures money allocations to the four target groups for subjects who are mothers (red bars) and subjects who are not mothers (blue bars). Confidence intervals have confidence levels of 0.95.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Fusion levels by treatment status. Confidence intervals have a confidence level of 0.95.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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