Using Protection Motivation Theory to examine information-seeking behaviors on climate change

• Published in: Global environmental change Vol. 81; p. 102698
• Main Authors: Li, Jun, Qin, Ping, Quan, Yifei, Tan-Soo, Jie-Sheng
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.07.2023
• Subjects: Big data; China; Climate change; Developing countries; Developing countries; Climate change; Big data; China
• ISSN: 0959-3780; 1872-9495
• DOI: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2023.102698

•Public interest in climate change topics is affected by extreme temperatures.•There is however clear disparity in types of climate knowledge sought by the public.•Due to self-protective reasons, interest is highest for climate adaptation topics.•Extreme temperatures do not induce similar interest on mitigation topics.•Projected climate change will likely cause adaptation to overshadow mitigation. Many earlier studies concluded that exposure to changes in local weather or extreme weather events prompt public interest in climate change, and in turn raise support for mitigation policies. However, these findings do not square with observations of record-breaking temperatures, and decades of failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. To address this conundrum, we use Protection Motivation Theory to form hypotheses on the specific type of climate change-related information that individuals seek during periods of extreme local weather. Using daily-level internet search engine data from Chinese cities, we find that residents are purposeful and rational in seeking information on climate change. Specifically, when faced with high or abnormal temperatures, they are much more likely to seek information to appraise their susceptibility to climate change threats, and evaluate coping responses. On the other hand, due to the lack of direct benefits, they do not seek out information on climate mitigation behaviors. In contrast to earlier studies, our findings suggest that it is unlikely that extreme weather events will prompt support for climate mitigation actions. Instead, as worldwide weather becomes more extreme and unpredictable, it is likely that public’s attention will shift in the direction of adaptation measures.