Predictors of global warming risk perceptions among Latino and non-Latino White Americans

Matthew H. Goldberg (), Abel Gustafson, Matthew T. Ballew, Seth A. Rosenthal, Matthew J. Cutler and Anthony Leiserowitz
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Matthew H. Goldberg: Yale University
Abel Gustafson: Yale University
Matthew T. Ballew: Yale University
Seth A. Rosenthal: Yale University
Matthew J. Cutler: Northeast Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Anthony Leiserowitz: Yale University

Climatic Change, 2020, vol. 162, issue 3, No 33, 1555-1574

Abstract: Abstract Global warming will disproportionately affect people of color (e.g., Latinos). Previous research has found that Latinos in the USA are more engaged with global warming than are non-Latino Whites, in part, because they are more likely to perceive it as a serious risk. It was unclear, however, what factors most strongly explain Latinos’ elevated perceptions of risk. This study uses two parallel, nationally representative surveys of Latino and non-Latino White Americans to investigate these different levels of risk perception. Mediation analyses indicate that Latinos’ greater risk perceptions may be explained by (in order of magnitude) their stronger pro-climate injunctive social norms and egalitarian worldviews, stronger identification with the Democratic party, more frequent communication with family outside the USA, greater harm from environmental hazards, stronger descriptive norms, and a weaker individualist worldview. These findings help inform strategies for communicating with different subgroups of Americans that have different global warming risk perceptions.

Keywords: Climate change; Global warming; Latino; Risk perceptions; Norms; Communication (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10584-020-02728-z

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