People may be fully aware of the terrifying consequences of global climate change. However, at the same time, they tend to think that it does not affect them as much as it affects others. This personal bias undermines the adequacy of risk perception and, consequently, efforts to curb global warming.
This is evidenced by the findings of researchers at the University of Gothenburg, as reported by Euronews.
The participants in the studies analyzed by Swedish scientists were 70,000 people from Europe, the US, and Asia.
"Others will be worse off"
People tend to believe that something bad can happen to others, but not to them. Therefore, respondents usually assess personal risks as "below average" or "lower than others." This fact is confirmed by 81 of the 83 studies analyzed by scientists.
"We found this effect in all but two studies, where the participants were farmers from China and South Korea who had directly experienced the effects of climate change. This suggests that direct experience reduces the effect," said Par Björkberg, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Gothenburg.
Overall, the meta-analysis found that 65% of respondents consider their chances of being affected by climate instability or extreme weather events to be lower than those of "everyone else." It is in comparison with the impersonal "everyone else" that this flaw in risk assessment is most noticeable.
This false belief is most persistent among Europeans, even though this part of the world is warming twice as fast as the global average.
According to scientists, this psychological bias can influence overall actions to curb global warming.
"Even when people are aware of the real risks associated with climate change, many seem to perceive them as affecting others first and foremost. This is a psychological bias that, in the worst case, can slow down efforts to adapt to climate change and mitigate its effects," said Magnus Bergquist, senior lecturer in psychology at the University of Gothenburg.
EcoPolitic previously reported that climate policies that affect people's everyday lives can cause rejection even among eco-conscious citizens. In general, climate restrictions cause 52% more negativity than those introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
