Honors Thesis Archive

Author	Clara DeHart
Title	“Doesn’t Feel Warmer to Me”: Climate Change Denial and Fear in American Public Opinion
Department	Political Science
Advisors	Staci Rhine, James Allan, and Sarah Fortner
Year	2020
Honors	University Honors
Full Text	View Thesis (1014 KB)
Abstract	Despite the scientific consensus that climate change is occurring, denial of this reality has persisted in the United States. While there are many possible explanations for this skepticism, one potential cause that has yet to be explored in detail is fear and its destabilizing influence on individuals’ decision making processes. Prompted by concerns that addressing climate change will harm the economy, question free market ideology, and threaten the American way of life, it is argued in this paper that the emotional experiences prompted by these sources of fear can lead individuals to deny climate change. To test this hypothesis, National Election Studies survey data was used to gauge the covariation between climate denial and a variety of potential measures of fear. The results of these analyses demonstrate that both free market ideology and a desire to protect one’s sense of American identity are associated with climate change denial, suggesting that these sources of fear must first be addressed in order to effectively communicate the risks of climate change to the American public.