The Psychological Distance of Climate Change

By Alexa Spence, W. Poortinga, Nick F. Pidgeon. Risk Analysis, 2012

1,384 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Avoiding dangerous climate change is one of the most urgent social risk issues we face today and understanding related public perceptions is critical to engaging the public with the major societal transformations required to combat climate change. Analyses of public perceptions have indicated that climate change is perceived as distant on a number of different dimensions. However, to date there has been no in‐depth exploration of the psychological distance of climate change. This study uses a nationally representative British sample in order to systematically explore and characterize each of the four theorized dimensions of psychological distance—temporal, social, and geographical distance, and uncertainty—in relation to climate change. We examine how each of these different aspects of psychological distance relate to each other as well as to concerns about climate change and sustainable behavior intentions. Results indicate that climate change is both psychologically distant and proximal in relation to different dimensions. Lower psychological distance was generally associated with higher levels of concern, although perceived impacts on developing countries, as an indicator of social distance, was also significantly related to preparedness to act on climate change. Our findings clearly point to the utility of risk communication techniques designed to reduce psychological distance. However, highlighting the potentially very serious distant impacts of climate change may also be useful in promoting sustainable behavior, even among those already concerned.

Subfields: Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law, Sociology and Political Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/0f3c8b62561828b1dcc0ffe54076d82db8615241

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In Management, Monitoring, Policy and Law

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Citations in the corpus

What shapes perceptions of climate change? New research since 2010 (2016, background): “For a large nationally representative sample of UK residents, lower psychological distance from climate change assessed on all four dimensions was associated with higher levels of concern.(45) For the 24 country nationally representative sample described in Box 1, specific intentions to act, a concr”
The social-psychological determinants of climate change risk perceptions: Towards a comprehensive model (2015, background): “Local climate change risk (8 items, a ¼ 0.96) Alger County, Michigan, USA (local) (N ¼ 765) 55% Spence et al. (2012) Psychological distance variables, (a)temporal, (b) spatial and (c) uncertainty.”
Perceptions and responses to climate policy risks among California farmers (2013, background): “…distance theory suggests that events that are temporally, socially, or geographically close to a person are more tangible and this experience results in greater likelihood to adopt behaviors to help a person adapt to or mitigate the problem (Liberman et al., 2002; Spence et al., 2011, 2012).”
Does reduced psychological distance increase climate engagement? On the limits of localizing climate change (2018, background): “…to ongoing discussions regarding the role of psychological distance as a potential barrier to public engagement on climate change (Gifford, 2011; Spence et al., 2012) by suggesting that scholars and practitioners alike should bear in mind the likely limits of localizing and recognize that…”
Personal experience and the ‘psychological distance’ of climate change: An integrative review (2015, background): “The findings of research specifically examining psychological distance in the domain of environmental problems (Gifford et al., 2009; Spence et al., 2012; Uzzell, 2000) support the idea that hypothetical distance may feed into perceptions of greater spatial, social and temporal distance for these…”
Climate change, natural hazards, and risk perception: the role of proximity and personal experience (2015, background): “The study by Spence et al. (2012) is not able to differentiate whether the respondents’ personal experience – or proximity to such experience – plays a role in determining people’s attitude towards climate change.”
How social norms are often a barrier to addressing climate change but can be part of the solution (2020, background): “Moreover, if people see those who will be harmed by climate change as not ‘like me’ (Spence et al., 2012), they may experience less empathy for their plight (Mitchell et al.”
The nature, significance, and influence of perceived personal experience of climate change (2020, methodology): “Few studies used longitudinal research designs, with those of Gustafson, Berquist, Leiserowitz, and Maibach (2019), Carlton et al. (2016), Konisky et al. (2016), Lang and Ryder (2016), Spence et al. (2011), and Sisco et al. (2017) seemingly providing the strongest evidence of temporal ordering.”
Determinants and Measurement of Climate Change Risk Perception, Worry, and Concern (2017, background): “…a significant association (Akerlof et al., 2013; Capstick & Pidgeon, 2014; Howe et al., 2014; Krosnick et al., 2006; Myers et al., 2012; Reser et al., 2014; Spence et al., 2012; Taylor et al., 2014; van der Linden, 2015A)—with only a few exceptions (Brulle et al., 2012; Whitmarsh, 2008A).”
“Proximising” climate change reconsidered: A construal level theory perspective (2016, background): “In other words, a distant mental perspective might offer new opportunities for engaging with climate change (for a similar argument, see Brügger, Morton, & Dessai, 2015; Spence et al., 2012).”