Salla Veijonaho, Maria Ojala, Lauri Hietajärvi, Katariina Salmela-Aro
{"title":"Profiles of climate change distress and climate denialism during adolescence: A two-cohort longitudinal study","authors":"Salla Veijonaho, Maria Ojala, Lauri Hietajärvi, Katariina Salmela-Aro","doi":"10.1177/01650254231205251","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"This study investigates adolescents’ climate change distress and climate denialism profiles with two cohorts (born in 2008 and 2006) using longitudinal data from two waves collected in 2020 and 2021 ( N = 3,002). In addition, the explanatory similarity of the subgroups regarding general well-being and pro-environmental behavior was studied. Four profiles were identified. The largest group was named the normative-carefree group because they had low climate change distress and climate denialism. Another group named denialists also had low distress but higher denial. Both these groups were associated with relatively good well-being. The third group had elevated climate change-related emotional distress and low climate denial and was therefore named the emotionally involved group. They engaged in pro-environmental behavior the most. The last and the smallest group was called the overburdened because they had elevated distress accompanied by denial; belongingness to the group was related to low well-being. Estimated transition patterns showed that the profiles were unstable within a 1-year span. The results endorse that adolescents’ climate change distress is ongoing and developing all the time, rather than being something permanent. The results also show that both climate change distress and climate denialism can co-exist among adolescents.","PeriodicalId":13880,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Behavioral Development","volume":"21 2","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":2.4000,"publicationDate":"2023-10-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Behavioral Development","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254231205251","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHOLOGY, DEVELOPMENTAL","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
This study investigates adolescents’ climate change distress and climate denialism profiles with two cohorts (born in 2008 and 2006) using longitudinal data from two waves collected in 2020 and 2021 ( N = 3,002). In addition, the explanatory similarity of the subgroups regarding general well-being and pro-environmental behavior was studied. Four profiles were identified. The largest group was named the normative-carefree group because they had low climate change distress and climate denialism. Another group named denialists also had low distress but higher denial. Both these groups were associated with relatively good well-being. The third group had elevated climate change-related emotional distress and low climate denial and was therefore named the emotionally involved group. They engaged in pro-environmental behavior the most. The last and the smallest group was called the overburdened because they had elevated distress accompanied by denial; belongingness to the group was related to low well-being. Estimated transition patterns showed that the profiles were unstable within a 1-year span. The results endorse that adolescents’ climate change distress is ongoing and developing all the time, rather than being something permanent. The results also show that both climate change distress and climate denialism can co-exist among adolescents.
期刊介绍:
The International Journal of Behavioral Development is the official journal of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development, which exists to promote the discovery, dissemination and application of knowledge about developmental processes at all stages of the life span - infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. The Journal is already the leading international outlet devoted to reporting interdisciplinary research on behavioural development, and has now, in response to the rapidly developing fields of behavioural genetics, neuroscience and developmental psychopathology, expanded its scope to these and other related new domains of scholarship. In this way, it provides a truly world-wide platform for researchers which can facilitate a greater integrated lifespan perspective. In addition to original empirical research, the Journal also publishes theoretical and review papers, methodological papers, and other work of scientific interest that represents a significant advance in the understanding of any aspect of behavioural development. The Journal also publishes papers on behaviour development research within or across particular geographical regions. Papers are therefore considered from a wide range of disciplines, covering all aspects of the lifespan. Articles on topics of eminent current interest, such as research on the later life phases, biological processes in behaviour development, cross-national, and cross-cultural issues, and interdisciplinary research in general, are particularly welcome.