Climate change overlooked. The role of attitudes and mood regulation in visual attention to global warming

Abstract

Why, in the face of climate catastrophe, do people still seem to underestimate the weight of the threat without taking adequate action to fight global warming? Among many reasons for this, the current study aims to dive into people’s cognitive abilities and explore the barriers located at the individual level, using an eye-tracking methodology. Previous findings indicate that a pro-environmental attitude does not necessarily lead to pro-environmental behavior. What may stand in the way is ignorance that can be mediated by other factors. This study will examine whether visual distraction from images depicting the impacts of climate change is mediated by mood regulation and environmental concern. This will help to fit educational and information materials to specific viewers, which may result in more pro-environmental behaviors in the future.