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Understanding climate anxiety and potential impacts on pro-environment behaviours
Zac Coates1, Scott Brown1, Michelle Kelly1
1School of Psychological Sciences, College of Engineering, Science and Environment, The University of Newcastle, Australia.
Journal of Anxiety Disorders
|June 20, 2025
Summary
Climate anxiety, a response to climate change, may drive eco-friendly behaviors. Moderate levels of climate anxiety appear optimal for pro-environment choices, unlike low or high levels.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Psychology
- Climate Change Research
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Climate change poses significant social, physical, and mental health risks.
- Climate anxiety, while a reasonable response to environmental threats, can impair functioning.
- Understanding the link between climate anxiety and behavior is crucial for effective climate action.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between climate anxiety and pro-environment behaviors.
- To explore the influence of psychological factors like general anxiety, death anxiety, and locus of control on climate anxiety.
- To assess the utility of discrete choice experiments in measuring pro-environment behaviors.
Main Methods:
- An online discrete choice experiment was conducted with 374 university participants.
- Participants completed measures of climate anxiety, general anxiety, death anxiety, and locus of control.
- A discrete choice measure assessed participants' pro-environment behaviors.
Main Results:
- A moderate level of climate anxiety was associated with significantly more pro-environment choices compared to low or high levels.
- Climate anxiety showed positive correlations with general anxiety, death anxiety, and locus of control.
- High climate anxiety may be linked to adverse mental health outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Moderate climate anxiety may optimize pro-environment decision-making.
- Psychological factors like anxiety and locus of control are interconnected with climate anxiety.
- Discrete choice experiments are a viable method for studying pro-environment behaviors and associated trade-offs.
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