TY - JOUR
T1 - Australians' perceptions about health risks associated with climate change
T2 - exploring the role of media in a comprehensive climate change risk perception model
AU - Thaker, Jagadish
AU - Richardson, Lucy M.
AU - Holmes, David C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors
PY - 2023/8
Y1 - 2023/8
N2 - We advance a recent comprehensive model of climate change risk perceptions by investigating the role of media in shaping individuals’ health risk perceptions. Results from a national survey in Australia (n = 1023) show that perceived health risks associated with climate change are related but distinct from perceived harm to self and society as measured in previous risk perception studies. Moreover, the full model explains 47% variance in health risks and 74% in perceived harm; While experiential processes (21%) account for about half of the variance in health risks, cognitive factors explain the largest share of variance in perceived harm (32%). Media processes explain a 10% variance in health risks and a 14% variance in perceived harm. News interest and media exposure to extreme weather events are significant to understand public health risks and harm perceptions, even after accounting for several other socio-demographic, cognitive, experiential, and socio-cultural factors. Findings support a conditional media effects model. Media can, directly and indirectly, affect public health risk perceptions by providing vicarious experience opportunities and information that Australians are looking for in the media about climate change.
AB - We advance a recent comprehensive model of climate change risk perceptions by investigating the role of media in shaping individuals’ health risk perceptions. Results from a national survey in Australia (n = 1023) show that perceived health risks associated with climate change are related but distinct from perceived harm to self and society as measured in previous risk perception studies. Moreover, the full model explains 47% variance in health risks and 74% in perceived harm; While experiential processes (21%) account for about half of the variance in health risks, cognitive factors explain the largest share of variance in perceived harm (32%). Media processes explain a 10% variance in health risks and a 14% variance in perceived harm. News interest and media exposure to extreme weather events are significant to understand public health risks and harm perceptions, even after accounting for several other socio-demographic, cognitive, experiential, and socio-cultural factors. Findings support a conditional media effects model. Media can, directly and indirectly, affect public health risk perceptions by providing vicarious experience opportunities and information that Australians are looking for in the media about climate change.
KW - Australia
KW - CCRPM
KW - Climate change
KW - Experiential processes
KW - Health risks
KW - Media exposure
KW - News interest
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85162868059&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102064
DO - 10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102064
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85162868059
SN - 0272-4944
VL - 89
JO - Journal of Environmental Psychology
JF - Journal of Environmental Psychology
M1 - 102064
ER -