---
title: "Environmental knowledge is inversely associated with climate change anxiety"
type: "post"
post_id: "4117"
slug: "environmental-knowledge-is-inversely-associated-with-climate-change-anxiety"
canonical: "https://pennyforyourthoughts2.ca/2023/04/18/environmental-knowledge-is-inversely-associated-with-climate-change-anxiety/"
markdown_url: "https://pennyforyourthoughts2.ca/2023/04/18/environmental-knowledge-is-inversely-associated-with-climate-change-anxiety.md"
json_url: "https://pennyforyourthoughts2.ca/2023/04/18/environmental-knowledge-is-inversely-associated-with-climate-change-anxiety.json"
txt_url: "https://pennyforyourthoughts2.ca/2023/04/18/environmental-knowledge-is-inversely-associated-with-climate-change-anxiety.txt"
published: "2023-04-18T11:57:37+00:00"
modified: "2023-04-18T11:57:37+00:00"
author: "penny2"
categories:
  - "Uncategorized"
tags:
  - "global warming"
  - "Media"
  - "perception management"
  - "state sponsored terrorism"
site_name: "PFYT2"
publisher: ""
language: "en-US"
generator: "easyPress Markdown"
generator_version: "1.0.6"
---
[Springer.com](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-023-03518-z)

**Environmental knowledge and climate change knowledge appear to be very different understandings. I’d dare to suggest one is reality based and the other is not.**

Abstract
--------

> This study tests the hypotheses tha**t overall environmental knowledge and climate-specific knowledge are inversely related to climate change anxiety**, such that people who know more (less) about the environment in general, and about climate in particular, are less (more) anxious about climate change. Time lagged data were collected from *N* = 2,066 individuals in Germany. Results showed that, even after controlling for demographic characteristics, personality characteristics, and environmental attitudes, overall environmental knowledge and climate-specific knowledge were negatively related to climate change anxiety (both *B* = -.09, *p* < .001).

**This paragraph below is interesting- the sentence in bold suggests the more fear mongering through the media, correlates with an increase in negative emotional response/ anxiety**. **Awareness of climate change comes largely through media promotion.**

> The rationale for investigating these relationships is that climate change anxiety may be reduced through interventions that enhance environmental knowledge. *Environmental knowledge* refers to the body of acquired facts and learned expertise in the environmental domain (including climate; Geiger et al. [2019](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-023-03518-z#ref-CR6)). **`<em>Climate change anxiety </em>involves people’s self-reported negative emotional responses associated with their awareness of climate change`** (Clayton [2020](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-023-03518-z#ref-CR2))

![](https://i0.wp.com/pennyforyourthoughts2.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/image-8.png?resize=580%2C463&ssl=1)> Results of regression analyses (see Table [1](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-023-03518-z#Tab1)) s**howed that overall environmental knowledge negatively predicted climate change anxiety** (*B* = -0.09, *p* &lt; 0.001), above and beyond the effects of demographics, environmental attitudes, and personality characteristics (see Fig. [1](https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10584-023-03518-z#Fig1)). Thus, Hypothesis 1 was supported: people who possess more (less) overall environmental knowledge experience less (more) climate change anxiety.

**In a nutshell the more real world environmental information you have- the less climate anxiety you suffer**. **Thoughts?**