Perception, understanding, and action: attitudes of climate change in the Hungarian population
This study is based on a non-representative, national level survey sample whose main purpose is to interpret the general population’s understanding of climate change. The study also provides an examination of correlations between climate change concerns and the taking of individual action as well as...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
2018-06-01
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| Series: | Hungarian Geographical Bulletin |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ojs3.mtak.hu/index.php/hungeobull/article/view/924 |
| _version_ | 1811264293543346176 |
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| author | Ferenc Jankó Laura Bertalan Mónika Hoschek Karolina Komornoki Nikoletta Németh Judit Papp-Vancsó |
| author_facet | Ferenc Jankó Laura Bertalan Mónika Hoschek Karolina Komornoki Nikoletta Németh Judit Papp-Vancsó |
| author_sort | Ferenc Jankó |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study is based on a non-representative, national level survey sample whose main purpose is to interpret the general population’s understanding of climate change. The study also provides an examination of correlations between climate change concerns and the taking of individual action as well as the relationship between pro-environmental thinking and climate change scepticism. Our results show a moderate correlation between the general population’s concerns and the professional views on the subject, known in the literature as the New Environmental Paradigm scale and Scepticism scale, but a significantly weaker correlation when it comes to taking action against climate change. Factors relating to the respondents, such as residence settlement type, education level, gender, age, personal and social values, or casual attributions in relation to climate change heavily influence this weaker correlation. Most respondents assessed climate change as a current (urgent), but geographically remote phenomenon. This is a clear indication of problems associated with cognitive conceptualization and the localization of climate change in communication. The target audience must be taken into account when designing climate change communications because interpretations of climate change can vary widely and cover a broad range attitudes ranging from concern about to issue all the way to climate change scepticism. This also applies to views concerning responsibility for climate change with some believing it is a political responsibility and others believing it is a scientific responsibility. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T20:01:42Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cded45534d31422fb91182e678020c7d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2064-5031 2064-5147 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T20:01:42Z |
| publishDate | 2018-06-01 |
| publisher | Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hungarian Geographical Bulletin |
| spelling | doaj.art-cded45534d31422fb91182e678020c7d2022-12-22T03:18:31ZengResearch Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of SciencesHungarian Geographical Bulletin2064-50312064-51472018-06-0167215917110.15201/hungeobull.67.2.4924Perception, understanding, and action: attitudes of climate change in the Hungarian populationFerenc Jankó0Laura Bertalan1Mónika Hoschek2Karolina Komornoki3Nikoletta Németh4Judit Papp-Vancsó5University of Sopron, Alexandre Lámfalussy Faculty of Economics, Erzsébet st. 9. Sopron, HungaryUniversity of Sopron, Alexandre Lámfalussy Faculty of Economics Erzsébet st. 9. Sopron, 9400 HungaryUniversity of Sopron, Alexandre Lámfalussy Faculty of Economics Erzsébet st. 9. Sopron, 9400 HungaryElisabeth Educational Hospital of Sopron, Győri st. 15. Sopron, 9400 HungaryUniversity of Sopron, Alexandre Lámfalussy Faculty of Economics Erzsébet st. 9. Sopron, 9400 HungaryGyula Roth Technical School of Forestry and Wood Industry, Szent György St. 9, Sopron 9400 HungaryThis study is based on a non-representative, national level survey sample whose main purpose is to interpret the general population’s understanding of climate change. The study also provides an examination of correlations between climate change concerns and the taking of individual action as well as the relationship between pro-environmental thinking and climate change scepticism. Our results show a moderate correlation between the general population’s concerns and the professional views on the subject, known in the literature as the New Environmental Paradigm scale and Scepticism scale, but a significantly weaker correlation when it comes to taking action against climate change. Factors relating to the respondents, such as residence settlement type, education level, gender, age, personal and social values, or casual attributions in relation to climate change heavily influence this weaker correlation. Most respondents assessed climate change as a current (urgent), but geographically remote phenomenon. This is a clear indication of problems associated with cognitive conceptualization and the localization of climate change in communication. The target audience must be taken into account when designing climate change communications because interpretations of climate change can vary widely and cover a broad range attitudes ranging from concern about to issue all the way to climate change scepticism. This also applies to views concerning responsibility for climate change with some believing it is a political responsibility and others believing it is a scientific responsibility.http://ojs3.mtak.hu/index.php/hungeobull/article/view/924climate changeperceptionresponsibilityclimate adaptationclimate change denialHungary |
| spellingShingle | Ferenc Jankó Laura Bertalan Mónika Hoschek Karolina Komornoki Nikoletta Németh Judit Papp-Vancsó Perception, understanding, and action: attitudes of climate change in the Hungarian population Hungarian Geographical Bulletin climate change perception responsibility climate adaptation climate change denial Hungary |
| title | Perception, understanding, and action: attitudes of climate change in the Hungarian population |
| title_full | Perception, understanding, and action: attitudes of climate change in the Hungarian population |
| title_fullStr | Perception, understanding, and action: attitudes of climate change in the Hungarian population |
| title_full_unstemmed | Perception, understanding, and action: attitudes of climate change in the Hungarian population |
| title_short | Perception, understanding, and action: attitudes of climate change in the Hungarian population |
| title_sort | perception understanding and action attitudes of climate change in the hungarian population |
| topic | climate change perception responsibility climate adaptation climate change denial Hungary |
| url | http://ojs3.mtak.hu/index.php/hungeobull/article/view/924 |
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