Understanding and modifying beliefs about climate change through educational travel

Abstract

Understanding the factors that shape individuals’ beliefs about climate change is key to the development of effective climate change communication and education strategies. In this study, we test a path model of the social psychological antecedents of beliefs about climate change and evaluate the effectiveness of an educational travel program in changing them. Results show that environmental worldview and affective association with nature are two significant predictors of students’ belief in the occurrence of climate change. Gender was found to influence belief in an anthropogenic causation, while political orientation was a significant predictor of conviction that climate change is occurring. Regression analysis was used to test for changes in climate beliefs before and after participation in an educational travel experience, compared to a control group, using a quasi-experimental design. Results indicate participation strengthened climate change beliefs.

Keywords:

• Climate change beliefs
• quasi-experiment
• educational travel

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the student participants in this research for their time.

Notes on contributors

Adam C. Landon is a Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Illinois Natural History Survey Human Dimensions Research Program where conducts research on the attitudes and behaviors of natural resource stakeholders.

Kyle M. Woosnam is an Associate Professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia where he conducts research on sustainable tourism.

Samuel J. Keith is a Ph.D. student in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia.

Michael A. Tarrant is a Josiah Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources where he conducts research on learning outcomes of education abroad.

Donald L. Rubin is Professor Emeritus in Departments of Communication Studies and Language and Literacy Education at the University of Georgia

Simon T. Ling is a Ph.D. student in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources at the University of Georgia.

Notes

1 We had originally tested the treatment effect using repeated measures ANOVA. However, the data failed to conform to an assumption of sphericity owing in part to unbalanced cell frequencies. The regression approach reported was chosen as an alternative.