Climate change perception by adolescents: reflections on sustainable lifestyle, local impacts and optimism bias (Percepción del cambio climático en adolescentes. Reflexiones sobre los estilos de vida sostenibles, el impacto local y el sesgo optimista)

Abstract

Abstract The intensification of climate change (CC) is influenced by human actions, adding relevance to psychological studies about the matter. This study investigated the perception of CC by adolescents and its possible relationship to sustainable lifestyle indicators (SLIs). A multi-method exploratory approach to this subject was divided into two stages: a questionnaire applied to 484 students and subsequent focus groups with some of those students. The results revealed that: causes and consequences of CC were by far the most mentioned constituents of its definition; participants were able to describe local implications of CC; and focus groups offered an opportunity for deepening and strengthening their responses to the questionnaire. A spatial optimism bias was identified: adolescents expressed more concern about the world situation as compared to that of their own city. The study indicates possible pathways towards the engagement of adolescents in climate change mitigation, as in the case of environmental care practices and connectedness to nature, significantly associated with aspects of CC perception.