Journal article

Overcoming skepticism with education: interacting influences of worldview and climate change knowledge on perceived climate change risk among adolescents

Kathryn T Stevenson, M Nils Peterson, Howard D Bondell, Susan E Moore, Sarah J Carrier

CLIMATIC CHANGE | SPRINGER | Published : 2014

Abstract

Though many climate literacy efforts attempt to communicate climate change as a risk, these strategies may be ineffective because among adults, worldview rather than scientific understanding largely drives climate change risk perceptions. Further, increased science literacy may polarize worldview-driven perceptions, making some climate literacy efforts ineffective among skeptics. Because worldviews are still forming in the teenage years, adolescents may represent a more receptive audience. This study examined how worldview and climate change knowledge related to acceptance of anthropogenic global warming (AGW) and in turn, climate change risk perception among middle school students in North ..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by North Carolina Sea Grant


Funding Acknowledgements

We would like to thank North Carolina Sea Grant for providing the funding for this study (Project # 2012-R/12-HCE-5). Additionally, we would like to thank Renee Strnad of North Carolina State University and Laurell Malone of North Carolina Central University for project feedback and guidance and Angela Mertig of Middle Tennessee State University for guidance in scale development and evaluation.