Adolescents’ worries about environmental risks : subjective well-being, values, and existential dimensions

• Previous studies concerning the association between macrosocial worries and well-being have shown diverse results. In this study a person-oriented approach was employed. Two subgroups of adolescents experiencing a high degree of worry about environmental risks but displaying varying levels of subjective well-being were identified. One scored low on well-being while the other scored high. Thereafter, the assumption that the two subgroups would differ on theoretically relevant comparison measures was investigated. The group high on both worry and well-being scored significantly higher on meaningfulness, trust in environmental organizations, and on anger and hope in relation to environmental risks than the group high on worry but low on well-being. Finally, environmental worry was mainly predicted by biospheric and altruistic values, but also by high levels of trust in science and environmental organizations. These results are discussed in relation to existential, emotion, and identity theories.

Subject headings

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Psykologi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Psychology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Psychology

Psykologi

Psychology

Psykologi

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)