The Association of Knowledge with Concern About Global Warming: Trusted Information Sources Shape Public ThinkingAriel Malka, Jon Krosnick and Gary Langer

By Thomas J. Gardner

Information ProcessingScientific Findings

1

2

3

4

Knowledge & Concern

Risk Perceptions

Political Party Affiliations

Deterrent's to Learning

5

6

7

8

Perceived Measures ofSeriousness

Demographics

Personal Importance

Trust in Science

Global Warming

American’s Attitude• Not a priority• Premium Concern

• Public Perceptions• Under informed

• Politicians

• Religion

Climate Change

Democrats believe humans are responsible

Republicans believe a higher power controls

destiny

REPUBLICANS

More knowledge does not elicit more concern

• May have negative consequences• Guided by

Misinformation

More information encourages behavior change

• Search for remedies• Compare facts

• Believe in science

DEMOCRATS

Political VariableTrust in the Communicator Don’t forget

Independents

Questions were rephrased

• How dangerous GW is to respondents

• How concerned are you about GW

Perceptions of Effects

The temperature of the earth will rise from 2 degree Celsius to 6 degree Celsius

glaciers and ice shelves around the world will start melting. Scientists project rising sea

levels will increase

Evidence of GW Effects

Greenhouse Gases• Carbon dioxide, methane and

water vapor trap heat

Communicators Message

Upton is "not convinced" that carbon needs to be regulated and denounces climate legislation as "an unconstitutional power grab that will kill millions of jobs."

Nature described Lomborgs

work as 'employs the strategy of

those who argue that... Jews

weren't singled out by the

Nazis'.

In his book The Skeptical

Environmentalist. Lomborg

claims: We will not lose our

forests; we will not run out of

energy, raw materials, or water.

Palin continues to ridicule

climate change as a "bunch

of snake-oil science.” She

disses climate scientists,

trashes clean-energy jobs

and throws her political

weight behind candidates

who deny the reality and

risks of global warming.

The citizens and governments of other countries have reviewed the facts surrounding global warming and are making changes to reduce car emissions and regulate traffic.

Politicians have endorsed these changes to protect future generations.

Dispositions of Countries

Comparison Table Layout

Qualities of KnowledgeSkeptical stance increasing

Social determinants

of which information

a citizen will accept

and the style in how

information is

presented can

decrease knowledge

volume and evoke

less concern

according to Malka

and associates.

Information Sources

Star Burst!

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Malka says party identification will actually rule over any logical or rational thoughts or behavior changes. The main discourse is a distrust in scientific research.

More exposure to information did not increase knowledge but actually had a negative interaction that increased further denial. Malka says these skeptics rarely internalize information that cast doubt upon their schema.

Democrats vs. RepublicansBlue states vs. Red states

According to Priest, attitude formation supersedes knowledge about global warming. Even through we are the greatest country on earth we are polarized by what the media tells us. Our risk society is brainwashed to accept that certain environmental and health risks are inevitable. Evidence dictates that America is underinformed and confused about GW.

Mass Media

In this diagram, measures of concern have positive interactions with knowledge. There are several dominions of communication that can lead to a positive result. Participants are constantly segmented over time to focus on individual indifference or non-compliance. Johnson believes that definitions of the quality of knowledge and in what framework information is presented shows heuristics play a vital role.

Temporal Sequenced Changes