Article
Extreme weather experience and climate change opinion
Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences
(2021)
Abstract
Climate change continues to expose more of the global population to more frequent and severe extreme weather events. Recent research shows that these changes in extreme weather have not, as yet, consistently motivated changes in opinions about climate change or changes in climate-related behavior. Extreme weather may reinforce opinions among people who are already worried about climate change, yet be misattributed or misperceived by those who are unconcerned. However, the characteristics and severity of personal experience may influence its impacts on climate opinions. Future research should consider appropriate research designs, such as matching or panel data, to disentangle the effects of experience from other factors, while also respecting ethical considerations for research among disaster survivors. As the impacts of climate change become increasingly evident at the local level, it becomes increasingly important to understand how these experiences interact with other factors to shape mitigation and adaptation decisions.
Disciplines
Publication Date
2021
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cobeha.2021.05.005
Citation Information
Peter D Howe. "Extreme weather experience and climate change opinion" Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences Vol. 42 (2021) p. 127 - 131 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/peter_howe/113/