Media exposure to climate change information and pro-environmental behavior: the role of climate change risk judgment.
Climate change risk judgment
Media
Pro-environmental behavior
Worry
Journal
BMC psychology
ISSN: 2050-7283
Titre abrégé: BMC Psychol
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101627676
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
11 May 2024
11 May 2024
Historique:
received:
01
11
2023
accepted:
07
05
2024
medline:
12
5
2024
pubmed:
12
5
2024
entrez:
11
5
2024
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between exposure to climate change information in traditional and modern media, cognitive and emotional aspects of climate change risk judgment, and pro-environmental behavior (PEB). A cross-sectional online study was conducted on a quota sample of 1,075 participants (51.9% women) aged 18-79 years. Participants self-reported their exposure to climate change-related information in traditional (e.g. television) and modern media (e.g. social networks), cognitive assessment of climate change risk, level of worry about climate change, and the frequency of PEB. Structural equation modeling showed a good fit for the parallel mediation model, involving cognitive risk judgment and worry as mediators between exposure to climate change information in traditional and modern media and PEB. Exposure to climate change information in traditional media had indirect effect on PEB through heightened worry, but not cognitive risk judgment. In contrast, exposure to climate change information in modern media had no indirect effect on PEB. Since the link between exposure to climate change information in traditional media and PEB has been shown to be mediated by climate change worry, it is important to enhance the coverage of climate change in traditional media in Croatia, taking care to offer solutions to reduce possible negative impact on people's well-being.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between exposure to climate change information in traditional and modern media, cognitive and emotional aspects of climate change risk judgment, and pro-environmental behavior (PEB).
METHOD
METHODS
A cross-sectional online study was conducted on a quota sample of 1,075 participants (51.9% women) aged 18-79 years. Participants self-reported their exposure to climate change-related information in traditional (e.g. television) and modern media (e.g. social networks), cognitive assessment of climate change risk, level of worry about climate change, and the frequency of PEB.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Structural equation modeling showed a good fit for the parallel mediation model, involving cognitive risk judgment and worry as mediators between exposure to climate change information in traditional and modern media and PEB. Exposure to climate change information in traditional media had indirect effect on PEB through heightened worry, but not cognitive risk judgment. In contrast, exposure to climate change information in modern media had no indirect effect on PEB.
CONCLUSION
CONCLUSIONS
Since the link between exposure to climate change information in traditional media and PEB has been shown to be mediated by climate change worry, it is important to enhance the coverage of climate change in traditional media in Croatia, taking care to offer solutions to reduce possible negative impact on people's well-being.
Identifiants
pubmed: 38734671
doi: 10.1186/s40359-024-01771-0
pii: 10.1186/s40359-024-01771-0
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
262Informations de copyright
© 2024. The Author(s).
Références
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Frontmatter. Climate change 2022 – impacts, adaptation and vulnerability: Working group II contribution to the sixth assessment report of the intergovernmental panel on climate change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2023. pp. i–ii.
doi: 10.1017/9781009325844
Taylor AL, Dessai S, Bruine de Bruin W. Public perception of climate risk and adaptation in the UK: a review of the literature. Clim Risk Manag. 2014;4–5:1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crm.2014.09.001 .
doi: 10.1016/j.crm.2014.09.001
Dunwoody S, Neuwirth K. Coming to terms with the impact of communication on scientific and technological risk judgments. In: Wilkins L, Patterson P, editors. Risky business: communicating issues of science, risk, and public policy. Westport: Greenwood; 1991. pp. 11–30.
Van der Linden S. The social-psychological determinants of climate change risk perceptions: towards a comprehensive model. J Environ Psychol. 2015;41:112–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2014.11.012 .
doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2014.11.012
Stern PC. New environmental theories: toward a coherent theory of environmentally significant behaviour. J Soc Issues. 2000;56:407–24. https://doi.org/10.1111/0022-4537.00175 .
doi: 10.1111/0022-4537.00175
Lu H, Liu X, Chen H, Long R, Yue T. Who contributed to corporation green in China? A view of public-and private-sphere pro-environmental behavior among employees. Resour Conserv Recycl. 2017;120:166–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.12.00 .
doi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2016.12.00
Briscoe MD, Givens JE, Hazboun SO, Krannich RS. At home, in public, and in between: gender differences in public, private and transportation pro-environmental behaviors in the US Intermountain West. Environ Sociol. 2019;5:374–92. https://doi.org/10.1080/23251042.2019.1628333 .
doi: 10.1080/23251042.2019.1628333
Hadler M, Haller M. Global activism and nationally driven recycling: the influence of world society and national contexts on public and private environmental behaviors. Int Sociol. 2011;26:315–45. https://doi.org/10.1177/0268580910392258 .
doi: 10.1177/0268580910392258
Yang PQ, Wilson ML. Explaining personal and public pro-environmental behaviors. Sci. 2023;5:6. https://doi.org/10.3390/sci5010006 .
doi: 10.3390/sci5010006
Cologna V, Siegrist M. The role of trust for climate change mitigation and adaptation behaviour: a meta-analysis. J Environ Psychol. 2020;69:101428. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101428 .
doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101428
Lou X, Li LMW. The relationship of environmental concern with public and private pro-environmental behaviours: a pre-registered meta-analysis. Eur J Soc Psychol. 2023;53:1–14. https://doi.org/10.1002/ejsp.2879 .
doi: 10.1002/ejsp.2879
Liobikienė G, Poškus MS. The Importance of Environmental Knowledge for Private and public Sphere Pro-environmental Behavior: modifying the value-belief-norm theory. Sustainability. 2019;11:3324. https://doi.org/10.3390/su11123324 .
doi: 10.3390/su11123324
Yu TK, Chang YJ, Chang IC, Yu TY. A pro-environmental behavior model for investigating the roles of social norm, risk perception, and place attachment on adaptation strategies of climate change. Environ Sci Pollut Res. 2019;26:25178–89. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-019-05806-7 .
doi: 10.1007/s11356-019-05806-7
Bradley GL, Babutsidze Z, Chai A, Reser JP. The role of climate change risk perception, response efficacy, and psychological adaptation in pro-environmental behavior: a two nation study. J Environ Psychol. 2020;68:101410. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101410 .
doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101410
Bouman T, Verschoor M, Albers C, et al. When worry about climate change leads to climate action: how values, worry and personal responsibility relate to various climate actions. Glob Environ Change. 2020;62:102061. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2020.102061 .
doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2020.102061
Mathers-Jones J, Todd J. Ecological anxiety and pro-environmental behaviour: the role of attention. J Anxiety Disord. 2023;98:102745. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102745 .
doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102745
pubmed: 37480627
Ogunbode C, Doran R, Hanss D, Ojala M, Salmela-Aro K, van den Broek KL, et al. Climate anxiety, wellbeing and pro-environmental action: correlates of negative emotional responses to climate change in 32 countries. J Environ Psychol. 2022;84:101887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101887 .
doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101887
Sjöberg L. Worry and risk perception. Risk Anal. 1998;18:85–93. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.1998.tb00918.x .
doi: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.1998.tb00918.x
pubmed: 9523446
Sweeny K, Dooley MD. The surprising upsides of worry. Soc Personal Psychol Compass. 2017;11:12311. https://doi.org/10.1111/spc3.12311 .
doi: 10.1111/spc3.12311
Sundblad EL, Biel A, Garling T. Cognitive and affective risk judgements related to climate change. J Environ Psychol. 2007;27:97–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2007.01.003 .
doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2007.01.003
Thaker J. Cross-country analysis of the Association between Media Coverage and exposure to Climate News with awareness, risk perceptions, and Protest Participation Intention in 110 countries. Environ Communn. 2023. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2023.2272299 .
doi: 10.1080/17524032.2023.2272299
Thaker J, Zhao X, Leiserowitz A. Media use and Public Perceptions of Global Warming in India. Environ Commun. 2017;11:353–69. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2016.1269824 .
doi: 10.1080/17524032.2016.1269824
Sciberras E, Fernando JW. Climate change-related worry among Australian adolescents: an eight-year longitudinal study. Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2022;27:22–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12521 .
doi: 10.1111/camh.12521
pubmed: 34766705
Paek HJ, Hove T. Mechanisms of climate change media effects: roles of risk perception, negative emotion, and efficacy beliefs. J Health Commun. 2024;1–10. https://doi.org/10.1080/10410236.2024.2324230 .
Kasperson RE. The social amplification of risk: progress in developing an integrative framework of risk. In: Krimsky S, Golding D, editors. Social theories of risk. Westport, CT: Praeger; 1992. pp. 153–78.
Renn O, Burns WJ, Kasperson JX, Kasperson RE, Slovic P. The social amplification of risk: theoretical foundations and empirical applications. J Soc Issues. 1992;48:137–60. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-4560.1992.tb01949.x .
doi: 10.1111/j.1540-4560.1992.tb01949.x
Kasperson RE, Renn O, Slovic P, et al. The Social amplification of risk: a conceptual Framework. Risk Anal. 1988;8:177–87. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6924.1988.tb01168.x .
doi: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.1988.tb01168.x
Renn O. Risk communication and the social amplification of risk. In: Kasperson RE, Stallen PJ, editors. Communicating risks to the public: international perspectives. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic; 1991. pp. 287–324.
doi: 10.1007/978-94-009-1952-5_14
Burns WJ, Slovic P, Kasperson RE, Kasperson JX, Renn O, Emani S. Incorporating structural models into research on the social amplification of risk: implications for theory construction and decision making. Risk Anal. 1993;13:611–24.
doi: 10.1111/j.1539-6924.1993.tb01323.x
Kasperson RE, Kasperson JX. The social amplification and attenuation of risk. Ann Am Acad Pol Soc Sci. 1996;545:95–105. https://doi.org/10.1177/000271629654500101 .
doi: 10.1177/000271629654500101
Kasperson RE, Webler T, Ram B, Sutton J. The social amplification of risk framework: new perspectives. Risk Anal. 2022;42:1367–80. https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.13926 .
doi: 10.1111/risa.13926
pubmed: 35861634
pmcid: 10360138
Mazur A. Risk perception and news coverage across nations. Risk Manag. 2006;8:149–74. https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.rm.8250011 .
doi: 10.1057/palgrave.rm.8250011
Greaves S, Harvey C, Kotera Y. Exposure to climate change information on affect and pro-environmental behavioural intentions: a randomised controlled trial. Earth. 2023;4:845–58. https://doi.org/10.3390/earth4040045 .
doi: 10.3390/earth4040045
Shao L, Yu G. Media coverage of climate change, eco-anxiety and pro-environmental behavior: experimental evidence and the resilience paradox. J Environ Psychol. 2023;91:102130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102130 .
doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102130
Johnson TJ, Kaye BK. Reasons to believe: influence of credibility on motivations for using social networks. Comput Hum Behav. 2015;50:544–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.04.002 .
doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2015.04.002
Fotopoulos S. Traditional media versus new media: between trust and use. Eur View. 2023;22:277–86. https://doi.org/10.1177/17816858231204738 .
doi: 10.1177/17816858231204738
Frewer LJ. Trust, transparency, and social context: implications for social amplification of risk. In: Pidgeon N, Kasperson RE, Slovic P, editors. The social amplification of risk. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press; 2003. pp. 123–37.
doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511550461.006
Grbeša M, Volarević M. Media in Croatia: from freedom fighters to tabloid avengers. Publizistik. 2021;66:621–36. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11616-021-00683-y .
doi: 10.1007/s11616-021-00683-y
pmcid: 8429888
Šegota T, Filipčić A. Klimatologija Za geografe [Climatology for Geographers]. Zagreb: Školska knjiga; 1996.
Eptisa Adria d.o.o. Draft climate change adaptation strategy in the Republic of Croatia for the period to 2040 with a view to 2070 (White book). Ministry of Environment and Energy of the Republic of Croatia. 2017. https://prilagodba-klimi.hr/wp-content/uploads/docs/Draft%20CC%20Adaptation%20Strategy.pdf . Accessed 10 Jun 2023.
Van der Linden S. Determinants and measurement of climate change risk perception, worry, and concern. SSRN Journal. 2017. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2953631 . Accessed 17 Jun 2023.
Croatian Bureau of Statistics. The Census of Population, Households and Dwellings in the Republic of Croatia. 2021. https://dzs.gov.hr/naslovna-blokovi/u-fokusu/popis-2021/88 . Accessed 15 Jan 2023.
Kahan DM, Peters E, Wittlin M, Slovic P, Ouellette LL, Braman D, et al. The polarizing impact of science literacy and numeracy on perceived climate change risks. Nat Clim Change. 2012;2:732–5. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1547 .
doi: 10.1038/nclimate1547
Ojala M. How do children cope with global climate change? Coping strategies, engagement, and well-being. J Environ Psychol. 2012;32:225–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2012.02.004 .
doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2012.02.004
Ojala M. Coping with climate change among adolescents: implications for subjective well-being and environmental engagement. Sustainability. 2013;5:2191–209. https://doi.org/10.3390/su5052191 .
doi: 10.3390/su5052191
Leiner DJ. SoSci Survey (Version 3.1.06). 2019. https://www.soscisurvey.de . Accessed 03 Mar 2023.
Rosseel Y, lavaan. An R package for structural equation modeling. J Stat Softw. 2012;48:1–36. https://doi.org/10.18637/jss.v048.i02 .
doi: 10.18637/jss.v048.i02
R Core Team. R: A language and environment for statistical computing. 2013. http://www.R-project.org/ . Accessed 03 Mar 2023.
Epskamp S, semPlot. Unified visualizations of structural equation models. Struct Equ Model. 2015;22:474–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705511.2014.937847 .
doi: 10.1080/10705511.2014.937847
Cheung S, Lai M, semptools. Customizing Structural Equation Modelling Plots (R package version 0.2.9.12). 2023. https://sfcheung.github.io/semptools/ . Accessed 15 Jun 2023.
Kline RB. Principles and practice of structural equation modeling. New York: The Guilford; 2015.
Hu L, Bentler PM. Cutoff criteria for fit indexes in covariance structure analysis: conventional criteria versus new alternatives. Struct Equ Model. 1999;6:1–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10705519909540118 .
doi: 10.1080/10705519909540118
Hair JF, Black WC, Babin BJ, Anderson RE. Multivariate data analysis. 7th ed. London: Pearson; 2009.
Perišin T, Henjak A, Kanižaj I, Kovačević P, Lechpammer S, Oblak D. Istraživanje percepcije javnosti o medijima i medijskom sadržaju – Što publika želi? [Research on public perception of media and media content - What does the audience want?] Fakultet političkih znanosti Sveučilišta u Zagrebu. 2021. Accessed 10 Sep 2023. https://zagrebnewslab.eu/jourlab/sto-publika-zeli/ .
Newman N, Fletcher R, Eddy K, Robertson CT, Nielsen RN. Digital news report 2023. Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. 2023. https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/2023-06/Digital_News_Report_2023.pdf . Accessed 10 Sep 2023.
Dobek-Ostrowska B. 25 years after communism: four models of media and politics in Central and Eastern Europe. In: Dobek-Ostrowska B, Glowacki M, editors. Democracy and media in Central and Eastern Europe 25 years on. Peter Lang Edition; 2015. pp. 11–45.
Ančić B, Puđak J, Domazet M. Do we see climate change in Croatia? Research of attitudes on some of the aspects of climate change in Croatian society. Croat Meteorol J. 2016;51:27–45.
Stecula DA, Merkley E. Framing climate change: Economics, ideology, and uncertainty in American news media content from 1988 to 2014. Front Commun. 2019;4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2019.00006 .
Painter J. Climate change in the media: reporting risk and uncertainty. London: I. B. Tauris & Co. Ltd; 2013.
doi: 10.5040/9780755694525
Gu Y, Gu S, Lei Y, Li H. From uncertainty to anxiety: how uncertainty fuels anxiety in a process mediated by intolerance of uncertainty. Neural Plast. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/8866386 .
doi: 10.1155/2020/8866386
pubmed: 33488694
pmcid: 7790579
Ogunbode CA, Pallesen S, Böhm G, Doran R, Bhullar N, Aquino S, et al. Negative emotions about climate change are related to insomnia symptoms and mental health: cross-sectional evidence from 25 countries. Curr Psychol. 2023;42:845–54. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01385-4 .
doi: 10.1007/s12144-021-01385-4
Ojala M, Cunsolo A, Ogunbode CA, Middleton J. Anxiety, worry, and grief in a time of environmental and climate crisis: a narrative review. Annu Rev Environ Resour. 2021;46:35–58. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurevenviron-012220-022716 .
doi: 10.1146/annurevenviron-012220-022716
Reyes MES, Carmen BPB, Luminarias MEP, Mangulabnan SANB, Ogunbode CA. An investigation into the relationship between climate change anxiety and mental health among Gen. Z Filipinos Curr Psychol. 2023;42:7448–56. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02099-3 .
doi: 10.1007/s12144-021-02099-3
pubmed: 34305362
Stanley SK, Hogg TL, Leviston Z, Walker I. From anger to action: Differential impacts of eco-anxiety, eco-depression, and eco-anger on climate action and wellbeing. J Clim Change Health. 2021;1:100003. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joclim.2021.100003 .
doi: 10.1016/j.joclim.2021.100003
Wullenkord MC, Tröger J, Hamann KRS, Loy RS, Reeese G. Anxiety and climate change: a validation of the climate anxiety scale in a german-speaking quota sample and an investigation of psychological correlates. Clim Change. 2021;168:20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-021-03234-6 .
doi: 10.1007/s10584-021-03234-6
Kalajžić V, Ražnjević Zdrilić M, Jontes D. Between denial and celebritization: online media coverage of climate change in Slovenia and Croatia. Medijska Istraz. 2022;28:31–53. https://doi.org/10.22572/mi.28.1.2 .
doi: 10.22572/mi.28.1.2
Jia F, Yu H. Action, communication, and engagement: how parents ACE children’s pro-environmental behaviors. J Environ Psychol. 2021;74:101575. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101575 .
doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101575
Porter SR, Umbach PD. Student survey response rates across institutions: why do they vary? Res High Educ. 2006;47:229–47. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-005-8887-1 .
doi: 10.1007/s11162-005-8887-1