ORCID
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5832-345X
Date of Award
Spring 5-15-2023
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Degree Type
Dissertation
Abstract
Studies show that the primary barriers to climate action support are cognitive ones, and yet it is not clear how people’s climate perceptions influence their support. Key perceptions’ effects remain either disputed or unidentified in the literature, so there is no established theory explaining the drivers of climate action support. I argue that people’s climate perceptions—including of others’ climate actions, climate change impacts, and climate change severity and timing—have effects that align with conventional assumptions of rational behavior. By running survey experiments and statistical analyses on data from both the US and Europe, I show that perceptions’ effects on support generally follow the rationality assumption, meaning people support climate action only if they think it is in their best interest. These findings are critical for gaining a better understanding of the barriers to climate action support, and thus for identifying strategies that can be used to increase support.
Language
English (en)
Chair and Committee
Keith Schakenberg Michael Bechtel
Committee Members
Keith Schnakenberg, Michael Bechtel, Matthew Gabel, Betsy Sinclair,
Recommended Citation
Mcallister, Jordan Hale, "Cognitive Explanations Behind the Lack of Public Support for Climate Action" (2023). Arts & Sciences Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2889.
https://openscholarship.wustl.edu/art_sci_etds/2889