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The Relationship Between the Subjective Experience of a Pet Impacted by Extreme Heat and Climate Anxiety: Applying
Erin L Teigen1, Lisa K Zottarelli1
1College of Social Work, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
Abstract:
Climate change is increasing the frequency, duration, and intensity of extreme weather, including extreme heat. As 87 million U.S. households include pets, and 97% of those households identify their pets as a family member, it is important to understand how a changing environment is impacting interspecies families. Applying the construal level theory for psychological distancing to climate change, this study explored the relationship between a pet impacted by extreme heat and climate anxiety. This secondary-data analysis of the July 2024 AP-NORC Center Poll AmeriSpeak Omnibus® survey of 1,143 U.S. adults included a subsample of 798 pet caregivers. A significant positive relationship was found between the subjective report of a pet impacted by extreme heat and self-reported climate anxiety. Implications for understanding how the construal level theory for climate change applies within the human-animal connection and the role of pets in identifying risk for climate anxiety.
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