Emotion and the Psychological Distance of Climate Change

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 761-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haoran Chu ◽  
Janet Z. Yang
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Distance Perception ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Construal Level Theory ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Limited Impact ◽  
Trait Empathy ◽  
Mitigation Action

Anchored by construal level theory and appraisal theories of emotion, this study examines whether discrete emotions vary along with perceived psychological distance of climate change impacts. We found that reduced psychological distance perception led to an increase in concrete emotions such as anger, fear, sadness, and guilt. In contrast, increased psychological distance perception led to an increase in hope—an abstract emotion. Compared to anger, anxiety, and hope, fear, guilt, and shame had more limited impact on climate mitigation action and policy support. Trait empathy moderated the effect of psychological distance manipulation on distance perception and emotions.

Effects of psychological distance perception and psychological factors on pro-environmental behaviors in Taiwan: Application of construal level theory

2019 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei-Fang Chen
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Psychological Factors ◽  
Distance Perception ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Construal Level Theory ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Environmental Concerns ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Environmental Behaviors

This study applied construal level theory (CLT) to the perceived psychological distance of climate change to investigate Taiwanese people’s psychological distance perception of climate change. It also considered how this psychological distance perception of climate change and other crucial psychological factors (i.e., values, ecological worldviews, and environmental concerns) may influence people’s pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs). A national self-administered questionnaire survey was performed in Taiwan and 733 responses were analyzed empirically. Structural equation modeling analysis indicated that an individual’s altruistic values are positively related to his or her ecological worldviews. An individual’s ecological worldviews are positively related to his or her psychological distance perception of climate change and environmental concerns regarding the negative consequences of climate change. Such environmental concerns positively motivate engagement in PEBs. However, an individual’s psychological distance perception of climate change does not positively relate to his or her PEBs.

Abstract or concrete? The effect of climate change images on people’s estimation of egocentric psychological distance

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (7) ◽  
pp. 828-844 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ran Duan ◽  
Bruno Takahashi ◽  
Adam Zwickle
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Construal Level Theory ◽  
Construal Level ◽  
Direct Experience ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Level Of Abstraction

Climate change has been widely perceived as a psychologically distant risk, largely viewed as separated from one’s direct experience. Using construal-level theory, we examined how the level of abstraction and concreteness of climate change imagery affects viewers’ perceived psychological distance of climate change, including spatial, temporal, social, and hypothetical (level of uncertainty) distances. Participants ( n = 402) were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions, one with abstract images and one with concrete images. Results show that the abstract and concrete images successfully activated people’s abstract and concrete mind-sets, respectively, and people who viewed abstract images were more likely to perceive climate change as a spatially and temporally distant issue.

scholarly journals Sensitivity of Riparian Buffer Designs to Climate Change—Nutrient and Sediment Loading to Streams: A Case Study in the Albemarle-Pamlico River Basins (USA) Using HAWQS

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (22) ◽  
pp. 12380
Author(s):  
Santosh R. Ghimire ◽  
Joel Corona ◽  
Rajbir Parmar ◽  
Gouri Mahadwar ◽  
Raghavan Srinivasan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Water Quality ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Riparian Buffer ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Buffer Zones ◽  
Temperature And Precipitation ◽  
Pamlico River

Riparian buffer zones (RBZs) provide multiple benefits to watershed ecosystems. We aimed to conduct an extensive sensitivity analysis of the RBZ designs to climate change nutrient and sediment loadings to streams. We designed 135 simulation scenarios starting with the six baselines RBZs (grass, urban, two-zone forest, three-zone forest, wildlife, and naturalized) in three 12-digit Hydrologic Unit Code watersheds within the Albemarle-Pamlico river basin (USA). Using the hydrologic and water quality system (HAWQS), we assessed the sensitivity of the designs to five water quality indicator (WQI) parameters: dissolved oxygen (DO), total phosphorous (TP), total nitrogen (TN), sediment (SD), and biochemical oxygen demand (BD). To understand the climate mitigation potential of RBZs, we identified a subset of future climate change projection models of air temperature and precipitation using EPA’s Locating and Selecting Scenarios Online tool. Analyses revealed optimal RBZ designs for the three watersheds. In terms of watershed ecosystem services sustainability, the optimal Urban RBZ in contemporary climate (1983–2018) reduced SD from 61–96%, TN from 34–55%, TP from 9–48%, and BD from 53–99%, and raised DO from 4–10% with respect to No-RBZ in the three watersheds. The late century’s (2070–2099) extreme mean annual climate changes significantly increased the projected SD and BD; however, the addition of urban RBZs was projected to offset the climate change reducing SD from 28–94% and BD from 69–93% in the watersheds. All other types of RBZs are also projected to fully mitigate the climate change impacts on WQI parameters except three-zone RBZ.

scholarly journals The Impact of a National Identity Loss Message, and the Moderating Effect of Political Orientation, on Climate Change Policy Support

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Klas ◽  
Edward John Roy Clarke ◽  
Kelly Fielding ◽  
Matthew Mackay ◽  
Susanne Lohmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
National Identity ◽  
Economic Loss ◽  
Political Orientation ◽  
Policy Support ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Mitigation Policy ◽  
Climate Policies ◽  
Control Message ◽  
The Impact

As climate change continues to be politically divisive, developing communications that align with right-leaning beliefs may increase bipartisan support for climate policy. In two experimental studies (Study 1, Australia, N = 521; Study 2, United States, N = 807), we tested whether a national identity loss message would elicit greater support for mitigation and adaptation policies when compared to an economic loss or control message, and whether this was conditional on political orientation. In both studies, conservatives were less likely to support both climate policies, but Australian (Study 1) and American (Study 2) identification predicted adaptation support. In the U.S. sample, there was a direct effect of the national identity loss message (compared to economic loss) on both climate policies, and an interaction of political orientation and message type. Conservatives who received an economic loss message were less likely to support climate mitigation policy when compared to conservatives who had received a national identity loss message. However, we found no significant interaction effects when comparing a national identity loss message to the control message. This suggests that if one has to discuss climate change, threatening national identity may be more useful than economic loss information in increasing mitigation policy support.

So Near, so good: Does near-distance perception reduce interpersonal psychological distance?

2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (6) ◽  
pp. 889-898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liusheng Wang ◽  
Wei Yao
Keyword(s):  
Distance Perception ◽  
Psychological Distance ◽  
Construal Level Theory ◽  
Stimulus Size ◽  
Interpersonal Distance ◽  
Mixed Design ◽  
Single Factor ◽  
Randomized Design ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Relationship

We conducted 2 experiments to explore whether or not the perception of interpersonal distance affects interpersonal psychological distance. Experiment 1 (N = 60) involved a mixed design examination of the relationship between distance perception (near vs. far) and gender consistency (consistent vs. inconsistent). The results showed that the figure at a near distance was perceived as being significantly more favorable than that of the figure at a far distance. Experiment 2 (N = 59) used a single-factor randomized design to investigate differences in stimulus size. The results showed that the size did not affect favorability evaluations. Our finding that a near interpersonal distance perception reduced interpersonal psychological distance supports both construal level theory and embodied cognition theory.

scholarly journals Understanding the value and limits of nature-based solutions to climate change and other global challenges

2020 ◽  
Vol 375 (1794) ◽  
pp. 20190120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Seddon ◽  
Alexandre Chausson ◽  
Pam Berry ◽  
Cécile A. J. Girardin ◽  
Alison Smith ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Climate Policy ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Social Scientists ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Biodiversity Crisis ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Gas Removal ◽  
Governance Challenges

There is growing awareness that ‘nature-based solutions' (NbS) can help to protect us from climate change impacts while slowing further warming, supporting biodiversity and securing ecosystem services. However, the potential of NbS to provide the intended benefits has not been rigorously assessed. There are concerns over their reliability and cost-effectiveness compared to engineered alternatives, and their resilience to climate change. Trade-offs can arise if climate mitigation policy encourages NbS with low biodiversity value, such as afforestation with non-native monocultures. This can result in maladaptation, especially in a rapidly changing world where biodiversity-based resilience and multi-functional landscapes are key. Here, we highlight the rise of NbS in climate policy—focusing on their potential for climate change adaptation as well as mitigation—and discuss barriers to their evidence-based implementation. We outline the major financial and governance challenges to implementing NbS at scale, highlighting avenues for further research. As climate policy turns increasingly towards greenhouse gas removal approaches such as afforestation, we stress the urgent need for natural and social scientists to engage with policy makers. They must ensure that NbS can achieve their potential to tackle both the climate and biodiversity crisis while also contributing to sustainable development. This will require systemic change in the way we conduct research and run our institutions. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Climate change and ecosystems: threats, opportunities and solutions’.

scholarly journals Governing Carbon Mitigation and Climate Change within Local Councils: A Case Study of Adelaide, South Australia

2012 ◽  
pp. 70-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather Zeppel
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Carbon Tax ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Climate Mitigation ◽  
Carbon Mitigation ◽  
Management Communication ◽  
Management Actions

There is growing concern about climate change impacts on local government areas. In Australia, the federal carbon tax (from 1 July 2012) will also increase costs for local councils. This paper evaluates what carbon mitigation (i.e. energy, water, and waste management) actions have been implemented by metropolitan Adelaide councils (n=14) and why (or why not). A survey of environmental officers profiled carbon mitigation actions, emissions auditing, and motives for emissions reduction by Adelaide councils. The main reasons for adopting carbon actions were a climate change plan, climate leadership, and cost savings. Internal council governance of climate change actions was also evaluated. A climate governance framework based on adaptive management, communication, and reflective practice (Nursey-Bray 2010) was applied to assess climate mitigation by Adelaide councils.

The impacts of climate change on food security and health in Southern Africa

2008 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 12-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
H.L. Wlokas
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Food Security ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
National Level ◽  
Climate Change Impacts ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Weather Events ◽  
Negative Impacts ◽  
Mitigation Action ◽  
Impacts Of Climate Change

Climate change will have a great impact on Southern Africa according to the IPCC. Two closely related topics, food security and health will be affected by the changes in many ways. Difficulties in transporting food through carbon regulations in air-freight, changing conditions for growing food crops and negative impacts on fishery might occur and will very possible lead to an increase in malnutrition in the region. Changes of the climate will also have an effect on the way illnesses are transmitted and cause a number of extreme weather events which can have an extremely damaging consequence on human living. Two main efforts are being work on in terms of dealing with these concerns. At the inter-national, regional and national levels, adaptation and mitigation action is being planned and imple-mented. Activities at each level are discussed and I argue this in this  paper that currently the most effi-cient way of dealing with the existing and future burdens of climate change impacts are activities at a national level, and enhanced effort has to be made to improve regional and international collaboration in addressing these issues.

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