1. Assessing a Combined Theories Approach to Climate Change Communication
Ted Greenhalgh
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

2. 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

3. 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

4. Conceptual Model

5. 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

6. Combined Model

7. 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

8. 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 t-test of the two groups
The two groups are significantly different (df=224, F=1.012, p≤.019)

9. 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.

10. Second Hypothesis ANOVA Results (df=12/224, F=64.931, p≤.000)

11. 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.

12. Third Hypothesis (cont.)
Found to be significantly different: (df=36, F=28.663, p≤.011).
Adopters had a mean attitude score of compared to non-adopters mean of
This indicates non-adopter rationalizing of decisions not to adopt innovation in the face of message information.

13. 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.

14. 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
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

15. 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.

16. Factor Analysis Component
Question
Factor Analysis Component
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
People are abusing the environment.
.634
-.180
-.358
.201
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
.177
Our understanding of climate science is so uncertain we should wait to act.
-.324
.510
.137
.351
When I get information from government reports I tend to trust it.
.145
.154
.511
-.017
I tend to be conservative on social issues.
-.345
.637
.207
.180
When I get information from religious leaders I tend to trust it.
.443
.460
.042
The balance of nature is delicate.
.713
.221
-.047
.117
I tend to be conservative on fiscal matters.
.271
.536
-.085
.358
When I get information from environmentalists I tend to trust it.
.558
-.271

17. 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.

18. Research Question (cont.)
Race
Sex
Male Female
Total
African-American 1
Asian-American 2
Caucasian 16 4 20
Hispanic
Mixed-Race 6 23 7 30

19. The Combined Model Analysis

20. Theory of Planned Behavior Analysis

21. 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 pre-existing worldviews and attitudes.

22. 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.

23. Questions and Comments