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Comprehension of climate change and environmental attitudes across the lifespan

Verständnis von Klimawandeldynamiken und Umwelteinstellungen über die Lebensspanne

Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie volume 47, pages 490–494 (2014)Cite this article

Abstract

Given the coincidence of the demographic change and climate change in the upcoming decades the aging voter gains increasing importance in climate change mitigation and adaptation processes. It is generally assumed that information status and comprehension of complex processes underlying climate change are prerequisites for adopting pro-environmental attitudes and taking pro-environmental actions. In a cross-sectional study, we investigated in how far (1) environmental knowledge and comprehension of feedback processes underlying climate change and (2) pro-environmental attitudes change as a function of age. Our sample consisted of 92 participants aged 25–75 years (mean age 49.4 years, SD 17.0). Age was negatively related to comprehension of system structures inherent to climate change, but positively associated with level of fear of consequences and anxiousness towards climate change. No significant relations were found between environmental knowledge and pro-environmental attitude. These results indicate that, albeit understanding of relevant structures of the climate system is less present in older age, age is not a limiting factor for being engaged in the complex dilemma of climate change. Results bear implications for the communication of climate change and pro-environmental actions in aging societies.

Zusammenfassung

Der demographische Wandel wird in den kommenden Jahrzehnten dazu führen, dass der alternde Entscheidungsträger und Wähler im politischen Kontext an Bedeutung gewinnt. Zugleich wird der Klimawandel u. a. weitreichende Entscheidungen über die Durchführung von Klimaschutzmaßnahmen und möglicher Anpassungsprozesse erfordern. Es ist davon auszugehen, dass klimarelevantes Wissen sowie das Verständnis für komplexe Dynamiken, die dem System Klima unterliegen, Voraussetzungen für umweltbewusstes Verhalten bilden. In dieser Querschnittstudie haben wir den Zusammenhang von (1.) klimaspezifischem Wissen und Verständnis für Feedback-Prozesse und (2.) umweltbewusste Einstellung im Hinblick auf das Lebensalter bei 92 Probanden im Alter von 25 bis 75 Jahren (Durchschnittsalter: 49,4 Jahre; SD 17,0) untersucht. Es ergaben sich negative Zusammenhänge zwischen Lebensalter und Verständnis für komplexe Klimadynamiken sowie positive Zusammenhänge zwischen Lebensalter und Besorgnis über die Konsequenzen des Klimawandels. Eine Abhängigkeit zwischen klimarelevantem Wissen und Umweltbewusstsein ließ sich dagegen nicht bestätigen. Die Resultate deuten darauf hin, dass der alternde Entscheidungsträger, trotz eingeschränktem Verständnis für komplexe Klimadynamiken, umweltbewusste Einstellungen vertritt. Die klare Unterscheidung kognitiver und sozialer Ansätze ist v. a. für altersgeschichtete Interventionen und Kommunikationsansätze von großer Bedeutung.

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Fig. 1

Notes

  1. Results from the incentivized decision task that was also elicited in the computerized part are reported in Goeschl et al. [7].

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Acknowledgments

We gratefully acknowledge the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung for supporting our project “ClimAge”.

Compliance with ethical guidelines

Conflict of interest. C. Degen, S.E. Kettner, H. Fischer, J. Lohse, J. Funke, C. Schwieren, T. Goeschl, and J. Schröder state that there are no conflicts of interest. All studies on humans described in the present manuscript were carried out with the approval of the responsible ethics committee and in accordance with national law and the Helsinki Declaration of 1975 (in its current, revised form). Informed consent was obtained from all patients included in studies.

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  1. Universitätsklinikum Heidelberg, Voßstr. 4, 69115, Heidelberg, Germany

    C. Degen M.Sc., S.E. Kettner, H. Fischer, J. Lohse, J. Funke, C. Schwieren, T. Goeschl & J. Schröder

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  1. C. Degen M.Sc.
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  2. S.E. Kettner
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  3. H. Fischer
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  4. J. Lohse
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  5. J. Funke
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  6. C. Schwieren
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  7. T. Goeschl
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  8. J. Schröder
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Correspondence to C. Degen M.Sc..

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Degen, C., Kettner, S., Fischer, H. et al. Comprehension of climate change and environmental attitudes across the lifespan. Z Gerontol Geriat 47, 490–494 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-014-0675-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00391-014-0675-0

Keywords

  • Climate change
  • Age
  • Cognitive capacity
  • System thinking
  • Pro-environmental attitude

Schlüsselwörter

  • Klimawandel
  • Alter
  • Kognitive Leistungsfähigkeit
  • Einstellung
  • Umweltbewusstsein