Transcript Evaluating Nanotechnology Regulation Perceptions Using

Assessing a Combined Theories
Approach to Climate Change
Communication
Ted Greenhalgh
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Why this study?
• Climate change is the greatest natural threat
facing the world today
• To effectively counter climate change people
will have to adopt new habits and
technologies
• Other public outreach and engagement
attempts have only had marginal results
Changing behavior
• Researchers and public health campaigns have
been trying to change poor behavior for years
• Social psychology makes extensive use of the
theory of planned behavior
• Communication campaigns make extensive
use of fear appeals
Conceptual Model
Combined Approach Model
• TPB and EPPM form the core of model
• Addition of more normative belief variables to
gain more understanding of norms effects
• Addition of more attitude variables to
evaluate cognitive dissonance
• Extends both theories and uses them to
evaluate a unique and important problem
Combined Model
Design
• Pretest survey, exposure to experiment
message, post-test survey
• Lower carbon footprint message
• Controlled multi-factorial design
• Control group and 18 test groups: fear
treatment (high or moderate), norms
treatment (descriptive, social injunctive,
personal injunctive), and 3 self-efficacy
First Hypothesis
• Lacking any motivational or mitigation
information in their stories, the control group
will have lower behavioral intent to adopt the
innovations than the test groups.
• Measured using a one-tailed independent ttest of the two groups
• The two groups are significantly different
(df=224, F=1.012, p≤.019)
Second Hypothesis
• Those individuals in the experimental groups
who self-identify as having low environmental
concern in the pretest section will have lower
levels of adoption than other subjects.
• Measured by combining the 3 NEP pretest
questions into a single variable and using it in
ANOVA with posttest adoption variable.
Second Hypothesis ANOVA Results
(df=12/224, F=64.931, p≤.000)
Third Hypothesis
• Those subjects with lower combined posttest
attitude question scores will have lower levels
of intent to adopt the innovations than other
test subjects.
• Measured by combining the nine posttest
attitude questions into a single variable and
using it in a one-tailed independent t-test
comparing adoption group to non-adopters.
Third Hypothesis (cont.)
• Found to be significantly different: (df=36,
F=28.663, p≤.011).
• Adopters had a mean attitude score of 37.181
compared to non-adopters mean of 25.778.
• This indicates non-adopter rationalizing of
decisions not to adopt innovation in the face
of message information.
General Research Question
• How do pre-existing worldview attitudes
towards the environment, science,
government, religion, or conservatism
affect willingness to adopt lower carbon
innovations?
• Measure by using all pretest questions in
regressions with the posttest adoption
intent variable.
Question
Beta
Significance
When I hear information from weather services I tend to trust it.
.113
p≤.282
Humans must live in harmony with nature.
.457
p≤.001***
I tend to be politically liberal.
.167
p≤.068
When I get information from news outlets I tend to trust it.
.179
p≤.266
People are abusing the environment.
.581
p≤.000***
I tend to consider my religious convictions when I make decisions. .221
p≤.223
When I get information from scientists I tend to trust it.
.373
p≤.011*
Our understanding of climate science is so uncertain we should
wait to act.
-.298
p≤.026*
When I get information from government reports I tend to trust it.
-.248
p≤.201
I tend to be conservative on social issues.
-.178
p≤.061
When I get information from religious leaders I tend to trust it.
-.198
p≤.211
The balance of nature is delicate.
.468
p≤.000***
I tend to be conservative on fiscal matters.
-.246
p≤.055
When I get information from environmentalists I tend to trust it.
.238
p≤.137
Research Question (cont.)
• To reduce the number of pretest variables and
explore how they are interrelated a varimax
factor analysis was run using the pretest
variables with the following loadings and
assigned to new variables for testing.
Factor Analysis Component
Question
Variable
1
2
3
4
When I hear information from weather services I tend to trust it.
.324
.030
.575
.069
Trust
Humans must live in harmony with nature.
.769
.202
-.253
-.031
NEP
I tend to be politically liberal.
-.400
-.675
-.205
-.071
Conserv Skeptic
When I get information from news outlets I tend to trust it.
.192
-.020
.604
.258
Trust
People are abusing the environment.
.634
-.180
-.358
.201
NEP
I tend to consider my religious convictions when I make decisions.
-.156
.027
.019
.616
Religion
When I get information from scientists I tend to trust it.
-.169
.028
.616
.177
Trust
Our understanding of climate science is so uncertain we should wait
-.324
.510
.137
.351
Conserv Skeptic
When I get information from government reports I tend to trust it.
.145
.154
.511
-.017
Trust
I tend to be conservative on social issues.
-.345
.637
.207
.180
Conserv Skeptic
When I get information from religious leaders I tend to trust it.
.443
.460
.042
.604
Religion
The balance of nature is delicate.
.713
.221
-.047
.117
NEP
I tend to be conservative on fiscal matters.
.271
.536
-.085
.358
Conserv Skeptic
When I get information from environmentalists I tend to trust it.
.558
.030
-.271
.069
NEP
to act.
Research Question (cont.)
• Only two of the factors (NEP and conservative
skepticism) were found to statistically predict
the posttest intention to adopt variable in
regression (adj r2=.466, p≤.001 and adj
r2=.168, p≤.015, respectively).
• To better understand conservative skepticism,
the top 30 scorers are shown.
Research Question (cont.)
Race
Sex
Male
Total
Female
African-American
1
1
Asian-American
1
1
2
Caucasian
16
4
20
Hispanic
1
Mixed-Race
4
2
6
Total
23
7
30
1
The Combined Model Analysis
Theory of Planned Behavior
Analysis
Conclusion
• Climate change communication can benefit
from fear appeals messages, although the
optimum level of fear and self-efficacy are not
certain.
• Evaluations of public understanding of
complex issues are best done with tools like
the combined model that account for preexisting worldviews and attitudes.
Conclusion (cont.)
• More research needs to be done to address
fear and self-efficacy in climate change
messages.
• More research needs to be done using the
combined model with random subject
samples and different cases.
• More research needs to be done to reach
people with high conservative skepticism.
Questions and Comments