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Predicting climate change risk perception and willingness to act
We extended a recent model of climate change risk perception (van der Linden, 2015) to predict the risk perception of Australians and their willingness to engage in mitigation behaviours (N = 921). Affect, mitigation response inefficacy, and descriptive norms were the most important predictors of ri...
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Published in: | Journal of environmental psychology 2019-10, Vol.65, p.101331, Article 101331 |
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Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Subjects: | |
Citations: | Items that this one cites Items that cite this one |
Online Access: | Get full text |
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Summary: | We extended a recent model of climate change risk perception (van der Linden, 2015) to predict the risk perception of Australians and their willingness to engage in mitigation behaviours (N = 921). Affect, mitigation response inefficacy, and descriptive norms were the most important predictors of risk perception, highlighting the influence of affective, cognitive, and socio-cultural factors. Affect and mitigation response inefficacy were also important predictors of behavioural willingness, but socio-cultural influences (free-market ideology, prescriptive norms, and biospheric values) played a relatively larger role in explaining the variance of behavioural willingness. Structural equation modelling provided further evidence that risk perception and behavioural willingness are separable constructs, as some factors in the model had direct effects on willingness independent of risk perception. We discuss the need for future research to develop a comprehensive model of behavioural willingness, and the need for public communication to combat mitigation response inefficacy.
•Our model explained 72% of variance in Australians' climate change risk perceptions.•The same model explained 47% of variance in willingness to take mitigation action.•Affect and response inefficacy were the strongest predictors of risk perception and willingness.•Prescriptive norms and free-market ideology were strong predictors of willingness. |
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ISSN: | 0272-4944 1522-9610 |
DOI: | 10.1016/j.jenvp.2019.101331 |