2017/06/23 by Karine Lacroix, Robert Gifford · 166 citations
Environmental Science · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Climate Change Communication and Perception #Climate change #Ecology #Energy (signal processing) #Energy conservation #Environmental Education and Sustainability #Perception #Psychology #Risk Perception and Management #Risk perception #Social psychology
paper · doi:10.1177/0013916517715296
published in Environment and Behavior 50(7), 749-780 (SAGE Publishing)
openalex publication_date 2017/06/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
We proposed and tested a conceptual model of how cultural cognition worldviews, climate change risk perception, and psychological barriers are related to reported energy conservation behavior frequency. Egalitarian and communitarian worldviews were correlated with heightened climate change risk perception, and egalitarian worldviews were correlated with weaker perceived barriers to reported energy conservation behavior. Heightened climate change risk perception was, in turn, associated with fewer perceived barriers to engagement in energy conservation behavior and more reported energy conservation behaviors. The relation between cultural worldviews and perceived barriers was partly mediated by climate change risk perception. Individuals with distinct worldviews perceived psychological barriers differently, and some barrier components were more strongly related to energy conservation behavior than others. Overall, climate change risk perception was the strongest predictor of perceived barriers and of energy conservation behavior frequency. Future efforts should focus on reducing the psychological barriers to energy conservation behavior identified in this study.