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Effects of episodic future thinking and perspective taking on climate change risk perception and action

Poster Session B - Sunday, March 30, 2025, 8:00 – 10:00 am EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Heather J. Gittelson1 (heathergittelson@mail.adelphi.edu), Karolina Lempert1; 1Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University

Previous studies have found that pre-experiencing future climate events using episodic future thinking (EFT) can increase climate change risk perception and action. Perspective-taking (PT) with real future individuals who would be affected by climate change can also be effective. Here we tested if combining EFT and PT will be more effective than EFT alone in altering self-reported climate change risk perception and action. Climate action was defined as the amount of money participants chose to donate to a climate change charity in a modified dictator game. 259 participants recruited through Prolific were randomly assigned to one of three groups: EFT + PT, which involved reading a vignette about a young friend or relative enduring a devastating future storm; EFT only, where participants read the same vignette but about a generic person; or a control condition, where participants read climate change facts. Climate change risk perception increased overall after reading the vignettes, F(1,255)= 9.20, p < .01. Surprisingly, this difference was driven by a significant effect in the control group only, t(98)=-3.46; p< .001. There was no effect of manipulation type on the amount donated to a climate charity, F(2, 165) = 1.16, p = .316. However, in the EFT+PT group, participants who reported feeling closer to the friend or relative in the vignette donated more money, r(75)= .309, p < .01. These results suggest that perspective taking with close others may encourage climate action, even if individuals’ climate change risk perception is not affected.

Topic Area: THINKING: Decision making

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March 29–April 1  |  2025

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