A new study suggests environmentally-conscious fans of pop star Taylor Swift will downplay her extensive use of a private jet to maintain their “Swiftie” identity.
The study from Psychology of Popular Media found that “emerging adults,” specifically Generation Z, would overwhelmingly rationalize Taylor Swift’s use of a private jet despite their fears about CO2 emissions. From the study:
Using a sample of emerging adults, we tested the effects of viewing news coverage of the excessive CO₂ emissions from Taylor Swift’s private jet on participants’ moral reasoning strategies and environmental cognitions. We also examined how these relationships differed by levels of fan identity.
Results showed that high-level Swift fans who viewed news of Swift’s transgression reported the highest levels of rationalization (compared with fans who read about other celebrities’ CO₂-emissions). Rationalization predicted lower CO₂ concerns and environment-related behavioral intentions. Results demonstrate moral reasoning as a way for emerging adults to reconcile with celebrity transgressions that counter other moral values.
The study was titled, “Don’t Blame Me: Testing the Effects of Taylor Swift Fan Id...