Brügger, A., Dessai, S., Devine-Wright, P., Morton, T. A., & Pidgeon, N. F. (2015). Psychological responses to the proximity of climate change.

Title: Psychological responses to the proximity of climate change

Author: Brügger, A., Dessai, S., Devine-Wright, P., Morton, T. A., & Pidgeon, N. F. Date: 2015

Summary: In this study, the authors sought to explore the relationship between people's beliefs about the temporal and spatial distance of climate change impacts and their psychological responses, including levels of concern, support for mitigation policies, and personal behavioral intentions. The researchers conducted a survey of 808 UK residents and analyzed their responses to various questions related to the perceived proximity of climate change impacts, as well as their attitudes towards climate change and their intended behaviors.

The results demonstrated that perceiving climate change as a close and imminent threat increased individuals' levels of concern, support for mitigation policies, and personal engagement in climate-friendly behaviors. In particular, the study found that believing climate change was happening now or would occur in the near future led to higher levels of concern and support for policy actions, as well as greater personal commitment to taking action. Additionally, perceiving the impacts of climate change as affecting one's own country or local area, rather than remote regions, was also associated with higher levels of concern and engagement.

The authors concluded that communicating the proximity of climate change, both temporally and spatially, is crucial for motivating people to take action to address this pressing issue. The findings of this study suggest that climate change communication efforts should emphasize the immediacy and relevance of climate change impacts to individuals' lives and communities in order to foster greater concern, support for policies, and personal action.