Global climate change is perhaps the greatest current existential threat to life on this planet. Despite the overwhelming scientific consensus for the existence of human-made global climate change, climate change skepticism continues to be a significant obstacle. The purpose of this experimental online study was to address research questions concerning the effect of climate change information on death-thought accessibility (DTA) and belief in global climate change and to investigate whether a relationship exists between DTA and belief certainty in global climate change. Terror management theory was the theoretical foundation for the study. The study sample consisted of 104 participants randomly assigned to two experimental groups and a control group. Group 1 read an essay about the environmental effects of climate change, Group 2 read an essay on the human causes of climate change, and Group 3 (control) read information about rainy weather. A 25-item word completion task was used to measure DTA and a 17-item Likert scale (Whitmarsh Skepticism Scale) measured belief certainty in global climate change. An ANOVA with planned contrasts and an ANCOVA were performed with nonsignificant results, indicating that climate change information alone does not necessarily increase DTA or belief certainty in global climate change, nor does it indicate a relationship between the 2 variables. The findings indicate that more than educational information on climate change may be needed to effect positive social change regarding the issue of global climate change.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction
Introduction and Background
Problem Statement and Purpose
Research Questions and Hypotheses
Theoretical Foundation
Nature of the Study
Definition of Terms
Scope and Delimitations
Assumptions and Limitations
Significance of the Study
Summary
Chapter 2: Literature Review
Introduction
Literature Search Strategy
Terror Management Theory
Death-Thought Accessibility
Global Climate Change: Belief and Information
Summary
Chapter 3: Research Method
Research Design and Methodology
Procedures and Sample
Selection of Alpha Level, Power, Effect Size, and Sample Size
Demographic Information
Instruments
Data Analysis
Threats to Validity
Ethical Concerns and Participants’ Rights
Summary
Chapter 4: Results
Introduction
Data Collection
Data Analysis and Results
Summary
Chapter 5: Findings, Recommendations, and Implications
Introduction
Interpretation of the Findings
Limitations of the Study
Recommendations
Implications
Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This study aims to investigate the psychological impact of climate change-related information on death-thought accessibility (DTA) and belief certainty regarding global climate change, using Terror Management Theory (TMT) as a framework. Specifically, it seeks to determine whether exposure to climate change information increases DTA and influences belief certainty, and whether a relationship exists between these two psychological variables.
- Terror Management Theory (TMT) and death anxiety.
- The psychological influence of climate change information.
- Measurement of death-thought accessibility (DTA) via word completion.
- Climate change skepticism and belief certainty.
- Analysis of potential links between existential awareness and climate change beliefs.
Excerpt from the Book
Introduction and Background
Global climate change is perhaps the greatest threat to the future well-being of humans and life on Earth (Swim et al., 2011). Nevertheless, there are certain psychological obstacles (e.g., denial, apathy) that either impede the acceptance of climate change as a reality or discourage the behavioral changes (e.g., reducing carbon emissions) necessary for addressing the human impact on global climate change (Doherty & Clayton, 2011; Gifford, 2011). According to terror management theory (TMT), much of human thinking and behavior is influenced by the unconscious awareness of and concern about death (Hayes, Schimel, Arndt, & Faucher, 2010). The terror of death is perhaps the main thing that drives human beings to stay busy (Becker, 1973). For example, terror management studies (e.g., Norenzayan, Dar-Nimrod, Hansen, & Proulx, 2009; Rutjens, van der Pligt, & van Harreveld, 2009) have shown that when mortality salience increases, participants’ worldview defenses tend to strengthen and their striving for self-esteem increases. Although the uniquely human awareness of mortality induces uncomfortable anxiety to some degree, the mind has adaptive mechanisms that can bar thoughts or reminders of death (e.g., cancer) from conscious awareness (Hayes et al., 2010). Through the measurement of death-thought accessibility (DTA), a main concept in TMT, the functioning of these mechanisms can be observed and empirically tested for their “level of activation of death thoughts” (Hayes et al., 2010, p. 699).
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Introduction: This chapter introduces the study's research problem, purpose, and theoretical foundation in Terror Management Theory, while explicitly outlining the research questions and hypotheses.
Chapter 2: Literature Review: Provides a comprehensive overview of existing literature on Terror Management Theory, the concept of Death-Thought Accessibility (DTA), and the various factors contributing to public belief or skepticism regarding global climate change.
Chapter 3: Research Method: Details the experimental research design, including the participant recruitment process, the specific instruments used, and the methodology employed for data collection and statistical analysis.
Chapter 4: Results: Presents the statistical findings derived from the collected data, including frequency statistics and the outcomes of the ANOVA and ANCOVA testing conducted for the research hypotheses.
Chapter 5: Findings, Recommendations, and Implications: Discusses the interpretations of the study's results, acknowledges limitations of the current research, offers recommendations for future investigations, and outlines the broader implications for climate change communication.
Keywords
Terror Management Theory, Death-thought accessibility, Global climate change, Climate change skepticism, Mortality salience, Cultural worldview, Environmental impact, Behavioral change, Existential threat, Quantitative study, Psychological mechanisms, Belief certainty, Experimental design, Environmental psychology, Social change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research study?
The study examines the psychological responses of individuals to information about climate change, specifically investigating how such environmental information impacts death-thought accessibility (DTA) and belief certainty regarding climate change.
What are the central thematic fields?
The primary themes include Terror Management Theory (TMT), the psychological impacts of mortality salience, factors influencing climate change beliefs, and the correlation between death awareness and skepticism.
What is the primary goal of the research?
The primary goal is to determine if information about climate change triggers death awareness (DTA) and whether there is a statistically observable relationship between DTA and an individual's level of belief certainty in global climate change.
Which scientific method was utilized?
The study utilized a quantitative, experimental design where 104 participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups to read different essays, followed by the administration of structured measurement instruments, including a word completion task and a skepticism scale.
What is addressed in the main body of the work?
The chapters cover the historical context of TMT, an extensive review of existing climate change and psychological research, the detailed experimental methodology, the analysis of results using SPSS, and a concluding discussion on the study's implications.
Which keywords characterize this work?
This work is characterized by terms such as Terror Management Theory, Death-thought accessibility, Climate change skepticism, Mortality salience, and environmental psychology.
Did the study discover a significant link between climate change information and death awareness?
No, the findings were nonsignificant; the study did not find that the provided climate change information increased death-thought accessibility compared to the control condition.
What are the implications for future research?
The author suggests that future studies should incorporate a time delay before measuring DTA to prevent the suppression of death thoughts and explore more "potent" or life-threatening information to better understand the existential impact of climate change.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Troy Franklin (Autor:in), 2020, Climate Change Information's Impact on Death-Thought Accessibility and Global Climate Change Belief, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1365291
