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GSA Annual Meeting in Seattle, Washington, USA - 2017

Paper No. 103-7
Presentation Time: 9:35 AM

RELATING UNDERSTANDING AND RISK PERCEPTION WITH A VALIDATED MEASURE OF CLIMATE CHANGE CONCEPTIONS (Invited Presentation)


LIBARKIN, Julie C., Geocognition Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, 206 Natural Science, East Lansing, MI 48824, GOLD, Anne U., Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado at Boulder, CO, Boulder, CO 80309, HARRIS, Sara E., Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2020-2207 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada, MCNEAL, Karen S., Geosciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849 and BOWLES, Ryan, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 46623, libarkin@msu.edu

The relationship between climate change understanding and other variables, including risk perception, beliefs, and worldviews, is an important consideration as we work to increase public attention to climate change. Despite significant effort to develop rigorous mechanisms for measuring affective variables, measurement of climate change conceptions is often relegated to single questions or unvalidated question sets. To remedy this situation, we constructed and analyzed a climate change concept inventory using a suite of validity and reliability steps, including Rasch analysis. The resultant 21-item test has a high degree of validity and reliability. Inventory scores along with other variables were included in a model of climate change risk perception, providing both concurrent validity for the test as well as new insight into the importance of conceptions, worldview, and values on risk perception. Overall, risk perception in the general public was most strongly related to environmental values and worldview.

Session No. 103

T100. Barriers, Misconceptions, and Progress in Improving Climate Literacy and Strategies for Communicating about Climate Change
Monday, 23 October 2017: 8:00 AM-12:00 PM
Room 3A (Washington State Convention Center)
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 49, No. 6
doi: 10.1130/abs/2017AM-307676
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