Climate change skepticism among adolescents

• Young people relate to one of the most serious social problems, global climate change, in different ways. This study focuses on adolescents (Time 1: mean age = 16.6 years) who de-emphasize the seriousness of this problem. Hierarchical regression analyses were performed to investigate what factors predict climate skepticism cross-sectionally and what factors predict climate skepticism one year later. Two waves of data were collected (Time 1: n = 870; Time 2: n = 684). Factors important for explaining skepticism among adults (values, knowledge, conservative political orientation, gender, media use), a cluster of variables related to societal powerlessness (distrust, disinterest in societal issues, low environmental efficacy, low tolerance toward immigrants), and descriptive social norms (social influence from parents and peers) were included in the study. With the exception of media use in cross-sectional analyses, and of media use and a conservative political orientation in bivariate longitudinal analyses, all of these factors were significantly associated with skepticism. However, only perceiving parents as having climate skeptical attitudes and low tolerance toward immigrants predicted an increase in climate change skepticism over the one-year period. Results are discussed in relation to earlier studies about climate change skepticism and socialization theories. Implications for climate change education are also discussed.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Utbildningsvetenskap (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Educational Sciences (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

descriptive social norms; values; tolerance toward immigrant; environ- mental efficacy; youth; climate change education

Psykologi

Psychology

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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