IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/climat/v177y2024i8d10.1007_s10584-024-03778-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Patterns of climate-change coping among late adolescents: Differences in emotions concerning the future, moral responsibility, and climate-change engagement

Author

Listed:
  • Amanda Rikner Martinsson

    (Örebro University)

  • Maria Ojala

    (Örebro University)

Abstract

Young people both are and will be greatly affected by climate change, an insight which can trigger a range of stressful emotions concerning the future. How young people cope with climate change as a stressor can be of importance for both moral responsibility and climate-change engagement. People often use a combination of coping strategies; however, the focus thus far has merely been on isolated coping strategies. Using a person-centered approach, the aim of this study was to examine: (1) patterns of climate-change coping among late adolescents and (2) if late adolescents characterized by unique patterns of coping differ regarding emotions concerning the future (worry, pessimism, optimism), moral responsibility, and climate-change engagement (outcome expectancy and climate-friendly food choices). A questionnaire study was conducted with 474 Swedish senior high-school students (16–22 years old, mean age: 17.91). A cluster analysis revealed three unique patterns of coping: The solution-oriented group (43%, high on problem- and meaning-focused coping), the avoidant group (33%, high on de-emphasizing and meaning-focused coping), and the uninvolved group (24%, low on all coping strategies). The solution-oriented group differed from the other two groups in reporting more climate-change worry, moral responsibility, outcome expectancy, and climate-friendly food choices. The uninvolved group reported more climate-change worry, moral responsibility, and climate-friendly food choices than the avoidant group, and the least optimism. The avoidant group was the least pessimistic. Our results reveal the importance of exploring patterns of climate-change coping to understand young people’s engagement concerning this global threat.

Suggested Citation

  • Amanda Rikner Martinsson & Maria Ojala, 2024. "Patterns of climate-change coping among late adolescents: Differences in emotions concerning the future, moral responsibility, and climate-change engagement," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(8), pages 1-21, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:177:y:2024:i:8:d:10.1007_s10584-024-03778-3
    DOI: 10.1007/s10584-024-03778-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10584-024-03778-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10584-024-03778-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Matthew Schneider-Mayerson & Kit Ling Leong, 2020. "Eco-reproductive concerns in the age of climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 163(2), pages 1007-1023, November.
    2. Ezra Markowitz, 2012. "Is climate change an ethical issue? Examining young adults’ beliefs about climate and morality," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 114(3), pages 479-495, October.
    3. Maria Ojala, 2013. "Coping with Climate Change among Adolescents: Implications for Subjective Well-Being and Environmental Engagement," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(5), pages 1-19, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Sebastian Brumann & Ulrike Ohl & Johannes Schulz, 2022. "Inquiry-Based Learning on Climate Change in Upper Secondary Education: A Design-Based Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(6), pages 1-29, March.
    2. Magnus Boström & Erik Andersson & Monika Berg & Karin Gustafsson & Eva Gustavsson & Erik Hysing & Rolf Lidskog & Erik Löfmarck & Maria Ojala & Jan Olsson & Benedict E. Singleton & Sebastian Svenberg &, 2018. "Conditions for Transformative Learning for Sustainable Development: A Theoretical Review and Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-21, November.
    3. Tanja Russell, 2024. "A ‘greenhouse affect’? Exploring young Australians’ emotional responses to climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(5), pages 1-20, May.
    4. Powdthavee, Nattavudh & Oswald, Andrew J. & Lockwood, Ben, 2024. "Are environmental concerns deterring people from having children? Longitudinal evidence on births in the UK," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 220(C).
    5. Jonathon P. Schuldt & Adam R. Pearson & Rainer Romero-Canyas & Dylan Larson-Konar, 2017. "Brief exposure to Pope Francis heightens moral beliefs about climate change," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 141(2), pages 167-177, March.
    6. Matthew J. Hornsey & Kelly S. Fielding & Emily A. Harris & Paul G. Bain & Tim Grice & Cassandra M. Chapman, 2022. "Protecting the Planet or Destroying the Universe? Understanding Reactions to Space Mining," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(7), pages 1-16, March.
    7. Ma, Tianyi & Moore, Jane & Cleary, Anne, 2022. "Climate change impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of young people: A scoping review of risk and protective factors," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 301(C).
    8. Michael Eichinger & Myriam Bechtoldt & Inga Thao My Bui & Julius Grund & Jan Keller & Ashley G. Lau & Shuyan Liu & Michael Neuber & Felix Peter & Carina Pohle & Gerhard Reese & Fabian Schäfer & Stepha, 2022. "Evaluating the Public Climate School—A School-Based Programme to Promote Climate Awareness and Action in Students: Protocol of a Cluster-Controlled Pilot Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(13), pages 1-14, June.
    9. Anne-Katrin Holfelder, 2020. "Implicit Knowledge in the Context of Education for Sustainable Development: Students’ Orientations Towards Sustainability-Related Topics," Journal of Education for Sustainable Development, , vol. 14(1), pages 20-40, March.
    10. Lindsay P. Galway & Thomas Beery & Kelsey Jones-Casey & Kirsti Tasala, 2019. "Mapping the Solastalgia Literature: A Scoping Review Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(15), pages 1-24, July.
    11. Lei Zhang & Kiridaran Kanagaretnam & Jing Gao, 2024. "Climate Change Social Norms and Corporate Cash Holdings," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 190(3), pages 661-683, March.
    12. Kathryn Stevenson & Nils Peterson, 2015. "Motivating Action through Fostering Climate Change Hope and Concern and Avoiding Despair among Adolescents," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, December.
    13. Lei Kang & Zhaoping Yang & Fang Han, 2021. "The Impact of Urban Recreation Environment on Residents’ Happiness—Based on a Case Study in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-14, May.
    14. Teaghan L. Hogg & Samantha K. Stanley & Léan V. O’Brien, 2024. "Validation of the Hogg Climate Anxiety Scale," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 177(6), pages 1-17, June.
    15. Hasini Gunasiri & Rebecca Patrick & Rhonda Garad & Joanne Enticott & Graham Meadows & Tristan Snell, 2024. "Coping with the Mental Health Impacts of Climate Change: A Green Script for Sustainable Action," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-12, January.
    16. Fabrice Hervé & Sylvain Marsat, 2024. "Like daughter, like father: Female socialization and green equity investment," Post-Print hal-04717594, HAL.
    17. Steffen Peters & Erich Striessnig & Maria Rita Testa & Alessandra Trimarchi & Natalie Nitsche, 2023. "Too worried about the environment to have children? Or more worried about the environment after having children? The reciprocal relationship between environmental concerns and fertility," MPIDR Working Papers WP-2023-023, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany.
    18. Lockwood, Ben & Powdthavee, Nattavudh & Oswald, Andrew J., 2022. "Are Environmental Concerns Deterring People from Having Children?," IZA Discussion Papers 15620, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    19. Aikaterini Zerva & Evangelos Grigoroudis & Evangelia Karasmanaki & Georgios Tsantopoulos, 2021. "Multiple criteria analysis of citizens’ information and trust in climate change actions," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(5), pages 7706-7727, May.
    20. Shuo Lei & Lu Zhang & Chunfei Hou & Yongwei Han, 2023. "Internet Use, Subjective Well-Being, and Environmentally Friendly Practices in Rural China: An Empirical Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-13, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:climat:v:177:y:2024:i:8:d:10.1007_s10584-024-03778-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.