Young Adults’ Willingness to Engage in Climate Change Activism: An Application of the Theory of Normative Social Behavior

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Andrea Martinez Gonzalez ◽  
Tobias Reynolds-Tylus ◽  
Christofer Skurka
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Social Behavior ◽  
Willingness To Engage

Emotional Appeals, Climate Change, and Young Adults: A Direct Replication of

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Skurka ◽  
Rainer Romero-Canyas ◽  
Helen H Joo ◽  
David Acup ◽  
Jeff Niederdeppe
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Perceived Risk ◽  
Social Issues ◽  
Emotional Appeals ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Increase Risk ◽  
Main Effects ◽  
Similar Sample

Abstract There is much need to verify the robustness of published findings in the field of communication—particularly regarding the effects of persuasive emotional appeals about social issues. To this end, we present the results from a preregistered, direct replication of C. Skurka, J. Niederdeppe, R. Romero-Canyas, and D. Acup (2018). The original study found that a threat appeal about climate change can increase risk perception and activism intentions and that a humor appeal can also increase activism intentions with a large sample of young adults. Using the same stimuli, measures, and experimental design with a similar sample, we fail to replicate these main effects. We do, however, replicate age as a moderator of humor’s effect on perceived risk, such that the humor appeal only persuaded emerging adults (ages 18–21.9). We consider several explanations for our discrepant findings, including the challenges (and opportunities) that persuasion researchers must navigate when communicating about rapidly evolving social issues.

scholarly journals Access to Environmental Cognitive Alternatives Predicts Pro-Environmental Activist Behavior

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua D. Wright ◽  
Michael T. Schmitt ◽  
Caroline Mei Li Mackay
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Identity ◽  
Collective Action ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Environmental Identity ◽  
Environmental Status ◽  
The Status ◽  
Canadian Survey ◽  
Willingness To Engage

We extend social identity models of pro-environmental collective action by expanding on the plausible role of access to cognitive alternatives to the environmental status quo (i.e., the ability of people to imagine what a sustainable relationship with nature would look like). Using a representative Canadian survey on age, gender, and ethnicity (N = 1029) we evaluate the associations between access to environmental cognitive alternatives and politicized environmental identity and willingness to engage in pro-environmental activist behavior. Additionally, we extend research using exclusively self-reported outcomes by giving participants the opportunity to write and sign a pro-environmental letter to the Canadian Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. Our results suggest that envisioning specific ways in which the status quo can be changed is associated with stronger politicized environmental identity, greater willingness to engage in pro-environmental activist behavior, and increased likelihood of writing and signing a pro-environmental letter to the Canadian Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. All methods and analyses follow our preregistration (https://osf.io/b56ry) and all materials and data are openly available (https://osf.io/24yeq/).

scholarly journals Correlates of Levels of Willingness to Engage in Climate Change Actions in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 9204
Author(s):  
Carl A. Latkin ◽  
Lauren Dayton ◽  
Da-In Lee ◽  
Grace Yi ◽  
Mudia Uzzi
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Political Ideology ◽  
The United States ◽  
Party Affiliation ◽  
Multinomial Regression ◽  
Climate Change Concern ◽  
Political Party Affiliation ◽  
Climate Change Attitudes ◽  
Political Actions ◽  
Willingness To Engage

While the majority of the American public believe climate change is occurring and are worried, few are engaged in climate change action. In this study, we assessed factors associated with the level of willingness to engage in climate change actions using an online, longitudinal US study of adults. Climate change action outcomes included the level of willingness to post materials online, take political actions, talk with peers about climate change, and donate to or help an organization. Predictors included climate change attitudes, environmental attitudes, political ideology, political party affiliation, and demographic variables. Most (72%) of the 644 respondents only talked about climate change with peers a few times a year or less, though 65% were very or extremely worried about climate change. Many respondents indicated a willingness to do somewhat or a lot more, from 38% willing to talk to peers to 25% for willing to take political actions. In multinomial regression models, the Climate Change Concern scale was strongly and consistently associated with willingness to engage in climate change action. These findings indicate a need to both identify those who are willing to act and finding activities that fit with their interests and availability.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Social Norms, Avoidance, Future Orientation, and Willingness to Engage in Climate Change Advocacy Communications

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (24) ◽  
pp. 13037
Author(s):  
Carl Latkin ◽  
Lauren Dayton ◽  
Catelyn Coyle ◽  
Grace Yi ◽  
Da-In Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Social Norms ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Future Orientation ◽  
State Legislators ◽  
Communication Behaviors ◽  
Contact State ◽  
Climate Change Information ◽  
The Future ◽  
Willingness To Engage

This study examined factors associated with willingness to engage in communication behaviors related to climate change advocacy. Data were collected as part of an online, longitudinal US study beginning in March 2020. Outcomes included willingness to post materials online, contact state legislators, and talk with peers about climate change. Covariates included climate change-related social norms, avoidance of climate change information, and perceptions of the future impact of climate change. A minority of the 586 respondents (23%) reported regular conversations about climate change, while approximately half of the respondents reported willingness to discuss climate change with peers (58%), post materials online (47%), and contact state legislators (46%). Strong predictors of willingness to engage in each climate change communications behaviors included climate change social norms, not avoiding climate change information, and believing that climate change will have a negative impact on the future. Findings indicate the importance of designing programs to foster increased climate change communications in order to promote community-level climate change advocacy norms.

scholarly journals Access to Environmental Cognitive Alternatives Predicts Pro-Environmental Activist Behavior

2021 ◽  
pp. 001391652110650
Author(s):  
Joshua D. Wright ◽  
Michael T. Schmitt ◽  
Caroline M. L. Mackay
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Collective Action ◽  
Representative Sample ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Environmental Identity ◽  
Environmental Status ◽  
Willingness To Engage

We expand on the plausible role of access to cognitive alternatives to the environmental status quo (i.e., the ability of people to imagine what a sustainable relationship with nature would look like) in motivating pro-environmental collective action. Using a representative sample of Canadians on age, gender, and ethnicity ( N = 1,029) we evaluate the associations between access to environmental cognitive alternatives, politicized environmental identity, and willingness to engage in pro-environmental activist behavior. Additionally, we move beyond self-reported behavior by giving participants the opportunity to write and sign a pro-environmental letter to the Canadian Minister of the Environment and Climate Change. Our results suggest that access to cognitive alternatives is associated with stronger politicized environmental identity, greater willingness to engage in pro-environmental activist behavior, and increased likelihood of writing and signing a pro-environmental letter. All methods and analyses follow our preregistration and all materials and data are openly available.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document