Essential Research Methods – MOD006811

Component 2 – Qualitative Analysis Report

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 Title: According to online articles, what are the key contributions psychology can offer to
help responses to climate change?
Analytic Strategy
Thematic analysis is a qualitative research technique that is frequently used to find,

examine, and communicate themes in data. Our approach is suitable for our study because it

makes it possible to find patterns and themes within a substantial body of textual information

gathered from several web publications on psychology and climate change. Additionally, it

permits a thorough examination of the data and the freedom to modify the research question

as the study develops. I initially gathered pertinent online articles on psychology and climate

change using a variety of search engines and academic databases in order to conduct the

theme analysis. I then read and reread the articles to become comfortable with the material

and highlight important passages. I then created a preliminary set of codes to represent the

main concepts and ideas found in the data. Based on the study question and pertinent

literature on the subject, I developed the codes using a deductive methodology. But as the

research went on, I also employed an inductive strategy to find new codes that appeared in

the information.

Following the data's coding, I put the codes together into prospective themes and sub-

themes depending on how similar and dissimilar they were. I went through and improved the

themes to make sure they were unique from one another and made sense. I then chose the

most important themes, created a synopsis of each subject, and included illustrative excerpts

from the data to support each theme. I gave a succinct overview of the procedures used in the

data analysis when doing the theme analysis. In order to fully capture the intricacies in the

data, I used combined deductive and inductive coding methods.

Analysis
 Three main topics emerged from the thematic analysis of online publications on

psychology and climate change were:

i. Understanding the psychological elements that affect attitudes and behaviors

related to climate change

ii. Promoting behavior change via psychological therapies, and encouraging

group action, and

iii. Social change through community-based initiatives are the first three steps.

Based on the popularity of the codes and their consistency with the study topic, several

themes were found. The many elements weave a narrative on the function of psychology in

combating climate change. The following is the theme map.

Thematic Map: Presenting the codes and themes identified

i. Understanding the psychological factors that influence climate change attitudes and

behaviors.

Perceptions of risk and uncertainty

 Individuals' perspectives on the possible effects of climate change on their lives,

communities, and the world as a whole are referred to as perceptions of risk and

uncertainty. Numerous psychological variables, such as personal experience, societal

beliefs, and media coverage, might have an impact on these perceptions. The following

web article excerpts demonstrate some of the ways that attitudes and behaviors connected

to climate change are influenced by perceptions of risk and uncertainty.

Data Extracts:

1. "People don't take climate change seriously because it's seen as a future problem, but

the impacts are already being felt in communities around the world. The more we can

raise awareness about the current and potential impacts of climate change, the more

likely people are to take action to address it." (Zaikauskaite et al, 2020)

2. "Climate change is a complex issue with a lot of uncertainty. This can lead to feelings

of helplessness and apathy among individuals, who may not know how to take action

or believe that their actions will make a difference." (Haltinner & Sarathchandra,

2018)

3. "Many individuals perceive climate change as a distant threat that won't affect them

personally. This can make it difficult to mobilize support for climate action, especially

among those who prioritize immediate concerns like economic stability or national

security." (Marlon et al., 2020)

Analysis:

The necessity of increasing public understanding of the current and future effects of

climate change is highlighted in Extract 1. People may be less inclined to take action to

address climate change if they think of it as a future issue. Advocates may aid people in

understanding the seriousness of the problem and the necessity for collective action by
highlighting the immediate and noticeable repercussions of climate change on communities

throughout the world.

According to Extract 2, people may experience sentiments of powerlessness and

indifference as a result of their perceptions of complexity and ambiguity. Individuals may be

less motivated to engage in pro-environmental behaviors when they are unclear about how to

take action or if their activities would make a difference. This emphasizes the need of

offering concise and useful information about climate change and the steps individuals can

take to address it.

Extract 3 emphasizes the difficulty in gaining support for climate action among

people who believe that the issue will not directly touch them. This underlines the necessity

for focused messaging that highlights the regional and individual effects of climate change as

well as the ways in which taking action on the issue may advance economic stability and

national security.

ii. Promoting behaviour change through psychological interventions

One of the most urgent challenges of our day is climate change, and to lessen its

effects, people, communities, and governments must work together. Promoting sustainable

behaviors among people may be difficult, though, as it frequently calls for modifying deeply

ingrained routines and viewpoints. Psychological therapies provide helpful techniques to

support these behavioral adjustments. Behavior modification treatments are one of the best

strategies to encourage lasting habits. These treatments aim to change certain behaviors and

may use a variety of tactics, including praise, rewards, and social support. Giving people

feedback, for instance, on their energy use, might inspire them to use less energy and become

more environmentally conscientious.

 Additionally important in encouraging sustainable behaviour are motivational

techniques. Goal-setting, visualizing, and fostering intrinsic motivation are a few examples of

these tactics. For instance, creating attainable objectives might support people in maintaining

their motivation and attention on their intended results. Techniques for visualization can

assist people in imagining their intended goals and overcoming any obstacles to behavior

change. Another powerful psychological technique for encouraging long-lasting behaviors is

persuasive communication. Utilizing communications that are customized to a person's

values, beliefs, and attitudes in order to promote a certain behavior is known as persuasive

communication. One way to encourage people to decrease their carbon footprint is by

presenting climate change in terms of its effects on future generations.

References

Haltinner, K., & Sarathchandra, D. (2018). Climate change skepticism as a psychological

coping strategy. Sociology Compass, 12(6), e12586.

Marlon, J. R., Bloodhart, B., Ballew, M. T., Rolfe-Redding, J., Roser-Renouf, C.,

Leiserowitz, A., & Maibach, E. (2019). How hope and doubt affect climate change

mobilization. Frontiers in Communication, 4, 20.

Zaikauskaite, L., Chen, X., & Tsivrikos, D. (2020). The effects of idealism and relativism on

the moral judgement of social vs. environmental issues, and their relation to self-

reported pro-environmental behaviours. Plos one, 15(10), e0239707.