Does the Use of Media and Other Information Sources Cause the Perceived Experience of Climate Change or is it the Other Way Around?

ABSTRACT

The perceived experience of climate change can be an important motivator of individual climate action. Recent scholarship argued that the use of media and other information sources is a basis of perceived experience. The current study analyzed a cross-lagged panel model to know if the use of information causes perceived experience or vice versa. Analysis of longitudinal data from a sample of Singapore residents (N = 466) showed that the use of traditional media, but not social media or interpersonal sources, explained change in perceived experience. In contrast, perceived experience explained change in the use of traditional media and interpersonal communication. We discuss these findings vis-à-vis the reinforcing spirals model of media effects and offer practical insights for climate change communicators, especially journalists.

KEYWORDS:

• Climate action
• perceived experience
• media use
• interpersonal communication
• reinforcing spirals

Data availability statement

Data are available upon request from the corresponding author.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research received funding support from an AcRF Tier 1 grant by the Ministry of Education - Singapore [grant number RG121/20].