Climate change information seeking: A scoping review

IF 7 1区心理学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Journal of Environmental Psychology Pub Date : 2025-08-23 DOI:10.1016/j.jenvp.2025.102742

Qixuan Zhang, Gewei Chen, Kim-Pong Tam

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This scoping review aims to synthesize the current understanding of information seeking behavior related to climate change. We systematically analyzed 32 studies derived from 31 articles that spanned across various scholarly disciplines, employed diverse methodologies such as surveys, experiments, and computational analyses, and addressed distinct research questions. Our review identifies key themes, including the motivations driving climate change information seeking and the potential downstream consequences of such behavior. However, it also reveals considerable gaps in the existing body of research, particularly regarding the ambiguities in the conceptualization of information seeking, lack of standardized and validated operationalizations, biases in geographic representation and age distribution of participants, and limited causal evidence. We propose the Process Model of Climate Change Information Seeking to map existing evidence on the topic and identify directions for future research. The model understands information seeking as a dynamic process that delineates four stages: information seeking intention, information search strategies, information selection, and information processing. This review serves as a valuable resource for scholars, practitioners, and policymakers aiming to understand and enhance climate change communication and public engagement in climate action.

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气候变化信息搜寻：范围审查

这篇综述旨在综合目前对气候变化相关信息寻求行为的理解。我们系统地分析了来自31篇文章的32项研究，这些研究跨越了不同的学术学科，采用了不同的方法，如调查、实验和计算分析，并解决了不同的研究问题。我们的综述确定了关键主题，包括驱动气候变化信息寻求的动机以及这种行为的潜在下游后果。然而，它也揭示了现有研究中相当大的差距，特别是关于信息寻求概念化的模糊性，缺乏标准化和经过验证的操作方法，参与者的地理代表性和年龄分布的偏见，以及有限的因果证据。我们提出了气候变化信息寻求的过程模型，以绘制关于该主题的现有证据并确定未来研究的方向。该模型将信息寻找理解为一个动态过程，该过程分为四个阶段：信息寻找意图、信息搜索策略、信息选择和信息处理。本综述为旨在理解和加强气候变化沟通和公众参与气候行动的学者、实践者和政策制定者提供了宝贵的资源。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Environmental Psychology Multiple-

CiteScore

10.60

自引率

8.70%

发文量

140

审稿时长

62 days

期刊介绍： The Journal of Environmental Psychology is the premier journal in the field, serving individuals in a wide range of disciplines who have an interest in the scientific study of the transactions and interrelationships between people and their surroundings (including built, social, natural and virtual environments, the use and abuse of nature and natural resources, and sustainability-related behavior). The journal publishes internationally contributed empirical studies and reviews of research on these topics that advance new insights. As an important forum for the field, the journal publishes some of the most influential papers in the discipline that reflect the scientific development of environmental psychology. Contributions on theoretical, methodological, and practical aspects of all human-environment interactions are welcome, along with innovative or interdisciplinary approaches that have a psychological emphasis. Research areas include: •Psychological and behavioral aspects of people and nature •Cognitive mapping, spatial cognition and wayfinding •Ecological consequences of human actions •Theories of place, place attachment, and place identity •Environmental risks and hazards: perception, behavior, and management •Perception and evaluation of buildings and natural landscapes •Effects of physical and natural settings on human cognition and health •Theories of proenvironmental behavior, norms, attitudes, and personality •Psychology of sustainability and climate change •Psychological aspects of resource management and crises •Social use of space: crowding, privacy, territoriality, personal space •Design of, and experiences related to, the physical aspects of workplaces, schools, residences, public buildings and public space