Concern about climate change in two protected natural areas of Spain: psychological barriers / La preocupación por el cambio climático en dos espacios naturales protegidos de España: barreras psicológicas

Abstract

Climate change (CC) has been listed as the greatest risk to humanity, and the most appropriate strategies to address the situation depend largely on how the problem is perceived. The purpose of this study is to analyse social perceptions of CC in two natural areas of Spain (Garajonay and Sierra Espuña). Participants (N = 334) showed high levels of concern and low levels of scepticism about CC. A factorial model was developed to explain the relationships between variables that affect concern about CC: scepticism, technological optimism, negative self-efficacy, political ideology and perceived signs of CC. The SEM model (R² = .65; χ²(df) = 223.65 (131); CFI = .968; RMSEA = .057) shows the strategic importance of considering the variables included (such as CC scepticism and technological optimism) so as to better understand the complex phenomenon of concern about CC.