Climate Change: Perceptions and Sustainable Behaviors Among Young Adults

Anthony Winston

BIS 302

April 7, 2016

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Table of ContentsChapter 1: Introduction...................................................................................3

Introduction........................................................................................................................................ 3Purpose of the Study.........................................................................................................................4Statement of the Problem............................................................................................................... 4Significance of the Study................................................................................................................. 4Assumptions........................................................................................................................................ 4Limitations........................................................................................................................................... 5Definitions........................................................................................................................................... 5

Chapter 2: Literature Review.........................................................................6

Chapter 3: Methodology..................................................................................9Purpose of Study................................................................................................................................ 9Setting and Population.................................................................................................................... 9Data Collection................................................................................................................................... 9Data Compilation and Analysis.................................................................................................. 10Conclusion......................................................................................................................................... 10

Chapter 4: Results...........................................................................................11Demographics.................................................................................................................................. 11Personal Beliefs............................................................................................................................... 11Environmental Awareness...........................................................................................................11

Chapter 5: Discussion....................................................................................11

References.........................................................................................................11

Appendix A........................................................................................................13

Appendix B........................................................................................................14

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Chapter 1: Introduction

Introduction

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest problems facing mankind today is the threat

of climate change. With world temperatures and populations expected to increase

in coming years, it is a paramount that behaviors, policies, and actions be taken

today to protect future generations. One thing that is preventing these steps from

being taken is public perceptions. Though the issue of climate change has had

significant scientific support, there are still skeptics who believe it is a natural cycle

and something not influenced by humans. With a wide array of choices today for

people to obtain information, perceptions regarding climate change may be

influenced by incorrect or “cherry picked” facts. The implications of this can lead to

people having unfavorable support for environmentally friendly products or

policies that officials seek to make into law. If people are being misinformed

regarding climate change issues, this can disrupt the cohesiveness needed to

preserve the planet for present and future generations. Young adults, specifically,

are essential to this solution.

The way young adults are influenced today will have an immediate impact on

the future ahead. Their perceptions, attitudes, and beliefs regarding climate change

are important to analyze because they may also influence others around them.

Misinformation may directly lead to a decrease in sustainable behaviors and by

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clarifying certain definitions; young adults can be better equipped to align their

attitudes with their behaviors.

Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to examine young adults knowledge regarding

climate change and see if this has influence over their decisions to make more

sustainable choices.

Statement of the Problem

Are young adults correctly informed about climate change? If they consider

themselves environmentally aware, do they make more sustainable choices?

Hypothesized was that increased environmental knowledge directly affects the

frequency of engaging in sustainable behaviors.

Significance of the Study

The significance of this study was its sole focus on young adults, particularly

in America. Other studies had been performed but most included a general overall

population of people. Examining young adults was important because of the weight

they hold in present and future decision-making. They are the incoming generation

soon to take over the reigns of global responsibility. Students were not the primary

focus, as a broader overview of young adults was desired for this project. This study

helped identify if young adults have the correct information regarding climate

change and examined if they had coinciding personal sustainable beliefs.

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Assumptions

This study assumed that young adults could correctly identify and explain

their feelings and beliefs. It was also under assumption that young adults were

informed of such things as climate change, sustainability, weather, and eco-friendly

activities. If a young adult is better informed regarding these topics, it is more likely

that they will partake in environmentally friendly behaviors. During the survey, it

was assumed that those being studied would be honest and tell the truth.

Limitations

To make this study producible, it is noted that there were a few limitations

present. The first limitation was time. The study was performed only over a few

weeks, restricting other aspects such as sample size, to allow for completion and

grading in an upper division college level course. Another limitation was resources,

particularly the fact of having one researcher collect enough surveys to represent a

decent amount of the population being studied. The last limitation considered was

that there may be personal bias from the researcher and also subjects of the study.

Definitions

Certain definitions must be clarified to aid some of the terms used within this

study. Climate is the measurement of atmospheric conditions over a time period of

at least 30 years. Weather is an atmospheric process that takes place generally in

small time scales, typically seconds, minutes, hours, or years. An eco-friendly

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activity is any activity that is performed with minimal impact on the existing

environment. A belief is a person’s acceptance towards something being real or

truthful. Knowledge is the personal awareness relating to a topic through

experiences or educational research. A young adult is any person being of the ages

between 18 and 29 years old. Lastly, sustainability is the act of participating in

behaviors that will not affect future generations environmental equity.

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Chapter 2: Literature Review

Undoubtedly, one of the biggest problems facing mankind today is the threat

of climate change. With world temperatures and populations expected to increase

in coming years, it is paramount that behaviors, policies, and actions be taken today

to protect future generations. One thing that is affecting these steps from being

taken is public influence and perceptions. Though the fact of climate change has

been scientifically proven, there are still skeptics who believe it is a natural cycle

and something not influenced by humans. Studies have shown that there is a

correlation regarding climate change perceptions and the participation in

sustainable behaviors (Pappas & Pappas, 2014; Yildirim, 2014). This study

examined the relationship between climate change perception and sustainable

behaviors and was analyzed through young adults, specifically between 18 and 35

years old.

Young adults today have access to an incredible amount of resources and

information. This has allowed much of this generation to formulate their opinions

and perceptions regarding a multitude of issues facing society. The problem that

persists is what climate change is defined as. The translation of this definition across

the barrier of the scientific community to the public has remained a hard obstacle to

overcome. A common mistake is that weather is confused for the same thing as

climate change, or rather that the two are intimately related. Weather, as stated

above, is atmospheric events at small timescale occurrences (typically minutes,

hours, seconds, and years) that take place at regional scales. Climate change has a

much larger timescale (at least 30 years) and is the measurement of weather

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conditions over such period. Gowda et al. (1997) conducted a survey on high school

students and found results that 40% of students said climate changes from year to

year (p. 2236). Also, roughly 12% of students surveyed believed climate means the

same thing as weather (p. 2236). The lack of distinction found by this study

indicates the need for public awareness regarding the true meaning of climate

change.

Phillips et al. (2015) performed a similar study on 455 young students

regarding whether they believed that climate change had affected the intensity of

natural disasters. The survey included 3 atmospheric disasters (tornadoes,

hurricanes, and droughts) and three non-atmospheric disasters (earthquakes,

volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis). Results showed that over half of the participants

agreed that climate change was affecting the atmospheric events (p. 65). The non-

atmospheric events had much more varied results with participants somewhat

agreeing with the question but some being neutral or even disagreeing that climate

change affected such events (p. 65). This finding follows similar studies that indicate

people associate present weather with changing climate patterns (Gowda et al.,

1997; Papadimitriou, 2004).

Without being effectively informed about the real issue of climate change,

young adults can be misled when trying to make sustainable decisions. Cheah and

Phau (2011) performed a survey in which they interviewed 256 subjects regarding

their purchasing habits and their attitudes towards environmental issues. They

found that the adults who held stronger environmental attitudes purchased

environmentally friendly products more often (p. 464).

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In another study, Pappas and Pappas (2014) asked a group of students from

two classes to assess their behaviors regarding sustainable attributes and activities.

The students were then asked to respond to a short reflective essay to see if they

agreed with their survey results. Six weeks later the students were then asked if

they had noticed any difference in being more sustainable and environmentally

conscious. The results found that over half the students in each class respectively

noticed at least one behavioral change (p. 18).

In conclusion, research shows that people are often misinformed regarding

the difference between climate change and weather. If people were to be better

informed about this, they might make more sustainable choices. This study helps

provide further insight to see if today’s young adults have improved their attitudes

and knowledge towards climate change. Young adults are in the position to take

over world leadership and responsibility soon. This study helps create awareness in

regards to the misinformation surrounding climate change behaviors and

perceptions, hopefully increasing public knowledge of the phenomena and

increasing sustainable behaviors.

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Chapter 3: Methodology

Purpose of Study

The purpose of this study was to assess young adults’ knowledge regarding

climate change and see if this has influenced their choices relating to sustainable

behaviors.

Setting and Population

This study took place in an online format with participants being primarily

from Phoenix, Arizona and surrounding suburbs. This online survey was conducted

between April 1, 2016 and April 11, 2016, and was distributed online and in person.

Because the link was distributed via social media, some participants may have been

from other states. The participants of the survey were young adults, both male and

female, appearing to be between the ages of 18 and 29 years old. They were

responsible for completing the survey at a time of their personal preference and the

link was distributed to an estimated population of 150 individuals. Completion of

the survey was expected before the date of April 11, 2016.

Data Collection

A website link regarding the survey (See appendix A) was distributed to

participants via hand delivery and through online social networks. Young adults

between 18 and 29 years of age were the primary survey targets. A control question

regarding age was used to narrow the focus of data collected. This control question

also eliminated some of the false results possible from participants older than those

being studied. Another question asked participants if they had ever taken an

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environmental class before. This question was not designed as a control question

but did become an important facet when determining if participants retained

information they learned in such classes. Other questions within the survey used the

likart scale to determine trends relating to environmental knowledge and personal

beliefs. The survey was created using the website Survey Monkey and was prepared

by the researcher. Before the survey was assessed, the individuals were required to

electronically acknowledge an informed consent (See appendix B).

Data Compilation and Analysis

After data collection was complete, the results were analyzed using Survey

Monkey to see if there was any correlation between perceived environmental

awareness and sustainable behavior. Using simple arithmetic, calculations were

performed to find percentages of overall male and female participants, as well as

age. This was done to assist in finding specific correlations amongst environmental

awareness and sustainable behaviors. Some questions with multiple choices were

mathematically analyzed to calculate percentages regarding results and total

number of participants. The researcher also individually assessed each survey to

identify if the participant had correctly identified causes and examples of climate

change. Utilizing this technique, the researcher was able to identify trends relating

to gender preferences as well as identifying any attributes with participants that

have taken an environmental class. Lastly, other questions utilized a pie graph to

display participants overall attitudes regarding personal environmental

perceptions.

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Conclusion

This study sought to analyze the knowledge and perceptions young adults

hold towards climate change and if there is a correlation amongst sustainable

beliefs. The research was conducted using an online survey from the website Survey

Monkey. The researcher passed out the website link via hand delivery to control

aspects like gender and age among participants. The link was also distributed online

using social networking, to increase the number of participants. The results were

compiled using Survey Monkey, with control questions embedded to eliminate

outliers and surveys outside of the desired age group. Graphs and charts were

utilized to show relations apparent in the results of this research. This study

provides insight regarding today’s youth and their level of knowledge regarding

climate change. Hypothesized was that those with a higher perceived knowledge of

the environment were more likely to consider themselves sustainable individuals.

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Chapter 4: Results

Demographics

The survey designed for this study was distributed over a three-week period and

gathered 67 responses. 17 of the results were eliminated for being outside of the desired

age of the participants being studied. Of the 50 collected surveys, 26 were male and 24

were female. The majority of responses were from individuals 25 to 29 years of age (30

participants), 17 participants were 20-24 old, and 3 were 18-19 years old.

Environmental Awareness

The survey included six questions to specifically analyze if participants could

determine the difference between climate change and weather. The most important

question that was asked relating to both was if weather meant the same as average

climate (Table 1).

Table 1. Weather means average climate response

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11 participants claimed this to be true, or 22%. This was well below the findings

from earlier literature where 40% of individuals claimed this question true. The key

difference lay in those that didn’t know. The number increased from 10% from

Gowda et al. findings, to 28% in this study. Those that claimed false were exactly

equal in both studies, showing that today, more people have become less informed

between the difference in climate change and weather. Another question examined

if participants felt climate changed from year to year. Results were almost similar

from a previous study, with roughly 75% of individuals also believing this question

to be true, despite 18 years of difference.

In order to validate if participants could correctly identify the difference

between weather and climate change, three multiple-choice questions were

facilitated. One asked participants what answers could be considered weather

events, with incorrect answers being embedded. The other question was similar but

asked for causes of climate change. The last question asked for participants to list

examples of climate change, such as warming global temperatures and rising sea

levels. The researcher was then able to grade these questions respectively and

assess if participants were correct (Table 2). These three questions allowed for a

considerable amount of leniency, as participants did not have to mark all correct

answers to be valid. Despite this leniency, only two participants provided sufficient

answers to be deemed environmentally conscious. Coincidently, the two correct

participants had both previously taken a class relating to environmental

information.

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Table 2. Questions to analyze environmental knowledge. (*) Denotes false answers

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Personal Beliefs

Two questions specifically focused on personal beliefs the participants held

individually. The first question asked if they felt environmentally conscious, to

which 50% agreed or strongly agreed with. Roughly 1/3rd (16) of the participants

were neutral when answering this question and 9 disagreed or strongly disagreed.

This was coupled with the question regarding if they considered being sustainable

important. 39 participants, or 78% in total, all strongly agreed or agreed with this

question, 10 were neutral, and only one person disagreed (Table 3). This high

percentage was a bit surprising when compared to the results from the

environmental knowledge.

Table 3. Importance of being sustainable according to subjects

Control Questions

As mentioned earlier, the survey included two control questions. The first

was deliberately created by the researcher, to eliminate any responses for

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participants over the age of 30. This was because the survey was distributed via

social media, allowing anyone to openly complete it. Another question was not

initially created as a control question, but became one upon further evaluation. The

question asked participants if they had taken any prior classes relating to

environmental material such as a climate change, meteorology, or sustainability.

This would provide these students previous knowledge relating to the survey

material, possibly skewing the results. What was actually found was only two

subjects, of the 26 total, with previous classes in environmental subjects “passed”

the survey. This provides an interesting dynamic and presents a question

wondering why they did not score better.

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Chapter 5: Discussion

This study examined if young adults were correctly informed between the

difference of climate change and weather. This was used to assess if there was any

affect on the importance sustainability was to the subjects being surveyed. Upon

conclusion of this research, it was found that there was no correlation between

young adults knowledge regarding weather and climate change and their feeling of

sustainable importance. Despite a majority of the participants not being able to

correctly identify the difference between climate change and weather, an

overwhelming majority of them (39) believed sustainability was important to them.

Something that was brought to light by these findings was that even young

adults who had previous course work relating to environmental information were

almost all wrong. Only two subjects were correct in defining a difference and both

had previously taken a class relating to the environment. It may be a possibility that

the classes in some form influenced these individuals to consider sustainability as

being important and should be further analyzed in future studies. Other studies that

may accompany this body of work are assessing if people that actually consider

themselves sustainable, through attitudes or beliefs, align their behaviors

accordingly. Subjects may feel they are sustainable or hold sustainability in a high

light, but fail to exhibit behaviors that prove they are sustainable.

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References

Gowda, M. V. R., Fox, J. C., & Magelky, R. D. (1997). Students’ understanding of climate change: insights for scientists and educators. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 78, 2232–2240.

Cheah, I., & Phau, I. (2011). Attitudes towards environmentally friendly products. Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 29(5), 452 – 472.

Papadimitriou, V. (2004). Prospective primary teachers’ understanding of climate change, greenhouse effect, and ozone layer depletion. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 13, 299–307.

Pappas, J. B., & Pappas, E. C. (2014). The Sustainable Personality: Values and Behaviors in Individual Sustainability. International Journal of Higher Education, 4(1), 12–21. doi:10.5430/ijhe.v4n1p12

Phillips, M. C. K., Cinderich, A. B., Burrell, J. L., Ruper, J. L., Will, R. G., & Sheridan, S. C. (2015). The Effect of Climate Change on Natural Disasters: A College Student Perspective. Weather, Climate, and Society, 7(JANUARY), 60–68. doi:10.1175/WCAS-D-13-00038.1

Yildirim, E. (2014). An Investigation on the Additional Cost of Green Products : The Willingness to Pay of University Students, Journal of Sustainable Development Studies, 7(1), 132–146.

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Appendix Ao Which of these do you believe are possible causes of

climate change? (select all that apply) Changes in weather Deforestation/Forest Fires Hole in Ozone Littering/Improper waste disposal Air Pollution Over Population Greenhouse Effect I don’t know Other(Please Explain)

o Which of these do you believe is an example of a weather event (select all that apply)

Tornadoes Earthquakes Blizzards Volcanic Eruptions Solar Flare Hail Blizzards Tsunamis I don’t know Other (Please Explain)

o Which of these do you believe is an example of Climate Change (select all that apply)

Increase in storm intensity Decreasing Polar Ice Caps Rising Sea Levels Heat Waves Increasing global temperatures Acid Rain Groundwater Contamination Other (Please Explain)

o Climate often changes year to year True, Probably True, Don’t Know, Probably False,

Falseo Weather means average climate

True, Probably True, Don’t Know, Probably False, False

o Where do you gather most of your information? Newspaper/Journal Articles, Internet, Television,

Friends/Family, Personal Experience, Other

o I am an environmentally conscious person

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Strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly disagree

o My sustainable decisions affect the environment Strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, strongly

disagreeo I have taken a class relating to the environment in the past

Yes, No, Not sure, Other (please explain)o Age

18-19 20-25 26-29 +30

o Gender Male, Female, Undisclosed

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Appendix BI am a student under the direction of Professor Amanda Hess in the College of

Letters and Sciences at Arizona State University. I am conducting a research

study regarding climate change and sustainable behaviors.

I am recruiting appropriate participants to take an online survey, which will

take approximately 15 minutes.

Your participation in this study is voluntary. If you choose not to

participate, or to withdraw from the study at any time, there will be no penalty.

The results of the research may be published, but your name will not be used.

Please select the box below acknowledging your consent. If you have any

questions concerning the research study, please call me (Anthony Winston) at

(602) 769- 4615.

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