51-1 Development and Validation of the Acceptance of Climate Change Scale

Session: Geoscience Education Research: Methods, Frameworks, and Results from Emerging Scholars

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Abstract:

Climate change acceptance is multifaceted and while many tools exist to measure it, none have been developed for undergraduate science student populations. Undergraduate science students represent a unique population of young scientists who are integral for progress in future climate change initiatives and environmental sustainability. To fill this gap, we are developing a novel instrument, the Acceptance of Climate Change Scale, to measure students’ acceptance. Our instrument development is following a five-stage approach informed by best practices of survey development as described by the American Psychological Association. Stage 1 began with a rigorous scoping review of the literature to identify existing climate change acceptance instruments. Our review identified 523 relevant articles the majority of which targeted the general public (n = 352), were nationally representative (n = 273), used self-created questions (n = 289), and were published across 199 unique journals. Next, we conducted a thematic analysis of 3089 survey items extracted from the 523 articles identified in our scoping review and identified 14 constructs of climate change acceptance that we organized into five categories. We found that constructs measuring the perceived consequences of climate change are measured most frequently by existing instruments and that most survey items measure multiple constructs within a single item which could hinder the findings of researchers using these items. Next, using a Delphi methodology, we conducted interviews and surveys with experts to define climate change acceptance for undergraduate science students. After three rounds of data collection, we reached a 73% consensus for our final definition which includes four constructs: Climate change is happening, average temperatures and greenhouse gases are increasing globally, and human behaviors are causing it. Using data from our scoping review and our final definition, we began adapting and developing new items for our scale (Stage 2). Our items have undergone multiple rounds of revisions following expert review and think aloud interviews with students (Stage 3). Our final set of preliminary items consists of 25 items measuring four constructs of climate change acceptance. Our instrument is now ready for our first field test with students (Stage four) which begins this fall.

Geological Society of America Abstracts with Program. Vol. 57, No. 6, 2025

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