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Investigating Connections between Need for Cognitive Closure and Climate Change Concern in College Students

Author

Listed:
  • Margaret Orr

    (Department of Communication, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA)

  • Alan Stewart

    (Department of Counseling and Human Services, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA)

  • Andrew Grundstein

    (Department of Geography, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA)

Abstract

Understanding how people’s worldviews and individual personality differences affect their thinking about anthropogenic climate change is critical to communication efforts regarding this issue. This study surveyed University of Georgia students to investigate the role that need for cognitive closure plays in level of climate change worry. The relationship between these two was found to involve suppression—a subset of mediation—by the social dimension of political conservatism. Political conservatism was also found to play a mediating role in the relationship between need for cognitive closure and support for governmental and personal climate solutions. However, social conservatism played this mediator role in women, and functioned as a suppressor for men. These findings help inform audience segmentation and creation of climate-related messages based on audience worldview and personality.

Suggested Citation

  • Margaret Orr & Alan Stewart & Andrew Grundstein, 2020. "Investigating Connections between Need for Cognitive Closure and Climate Change Concern in College Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(15), pages 1-18, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:15:p:5619-:d:394555
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Peter D. Howe & Matto Mildenberger & Jennifer R. Marlon & Anthony Leiserowitz, 2015. "Geographic variation in opinions on climate change at state and local scales in the USA," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 5(6), pages 596-603, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Stephen A. Sutton & Douglas Paton & Petra Buergelt & Saut Sagala & Ella Meilianda, 2020. "Sustaining a Transformative Disaster Risk Reduction Strategy: Grandmothers’ Telling and Singing Tsunami Stories for over 100 Years Saving Lives on Simeulue Island," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(21), pages 1-20, October.

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