Worldviews, Risk Perceptions, and Adaptive Responses to Global Climate Change

Abstract

The thesis had 3 main objectives: 1. To determine which cultural worldview dimensions were the strongest predictors of environmental risk perceptions, and whether the magnitude of these predictive relationships varied as a function of hazard type, sample composition, study location and worldview measure. This objective was accomplished by conducting a meta-analysis of the cultural theory and environmental risk perception literature. 2. To determine the suitability of three prominent worldview measures for explaining climate change risk perceptions and responses in a Chinese sample. This objective was accomplished using a large online survey of Chinese respondents, in conjunction with exploratory/confirmatory factor analyses and mediation analyses. 3. To assess the effectiveness of a climate change efficacy building intervention, based on Witte's Extended Parallel Processing Model (Witte, Meyer, & Marttell, 2012) in eliciting adaptive responses to climate change, and whether the intervention's effectiveness varied as function of participants' environmental worldviews. This objective was accomplished through a large experimental study in which Chinese respondents were randomly assigned to either a high threat - low efficacy or high threat - high efficacy climate change message. Moderation and mediation analyses evaluated the impact of the intervention on efficacy and message engagement/disengagement.