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Ojala, M. (2023). Climate-change education and critical emotional awareness (CEA): Implications for teacher education. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 55(10), 1109-1120
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Climate-change education and critical emotional awareness (CEA): Implications for teacher education
2023 (English)In: Educational Philosophy and Theory, ISSN 0013-1857, E-ISSN 1469-5812, Vol. 55, no 10, p. 1109-1120Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Scholars in the field of Education for Sustainable Development argue that it is vital that educators take emotions into account when teaching about global problems such as climate change. How to do this in the best way is still debated, however. This article aims to contribute to this discussion by arguing for the importance of critical emotional awareness (CEA). CEA is vital for future teachers to gain, but also for their future students to learn to be able to fight sustainability problems in everyday life and in occupational roles. Through theoretical argumentation and insights from empirical studies, the article elaborates on the following questions: Why is CEA important? What components does this concept consist of? Some key characteristics are that CEA combines insights from emotion research and critical social science. It should be anchored in multidisciplinary emotion theories and research and should acknowledge both emotions and ways to cope. It is also vital to recognize that emotions and emotion regulation take place at individual and interactional levels and are, furthermore, influenced by larger societal emotion norms. CEA implies that these aspects are critically discussed in learning situations and that teacher education should give teachers the skills to lead such discussions. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Routledge, 2023
Keywords
Education for sustainable development (ESD), emotions, climate change, teacher education, critical consciousness
National Category
Educational Sciences Psychology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-98861 (URN)10.1080/00131857.2022.2081150 (DOI)000807621900001 ()2-s2.0-85131571726 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Swedish Research Council Formas, 2017-00880
Available from: 2022-05-05 Created: 2022-05-05 Last updated: 2023-12-08Bibliographically approved
Wullenkord, M. C. & Ojala, M. (2023). Climate-change worry among two cohorts of late adolescents: Exploring macro and micro worries, coping, and relations to climate engagement, pessimism, and well-being. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 90, Article ID 102093.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Climate-change worry among two cohorts of late adolescents: Exploring macro and micro worries, coping, and relations to climate engagement, pessimism, and well-being
2023 (English)In: Journal of Environmental Psychology, ISSN 0272-4944, E-ISSN 1522-9610, Vol. 90, article id 102093Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Few studies have explored climate change worry in an in-depth manner among adolescents. Through survey studies with two cohorts of adolescents (2010, 2019/2020) we investigated relations between different forms of climate change worry, mental well-being, and pro-environmental behavior and what role coping plays in these relationships. Results show that climate change worry was negatively associated with subjective well-being, and positively associated with climate pessimism and pro-environmental behavior. Relations were strongest between macro worry and pro-environmental behavior, and between micro worry and mental well-being. Problem-focused coping was a mediator between worry and pro-environmental behavior and between meaning-focused coping and behavior, while distancing decreased the positive relation between worry and problem-focused coping. Meaning-focused coping and optimism worked as buffers between macro and micro worry and pessimism in some, but not all, cases. Most relationships remained significant when controlling for other variables in path-models. Finally, worry was more prevalent in the 2019/2020 cohort. Our findings highlight the need to consider different forms of worry and coping in studies about climate change worry.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2023
Keywords
Climate worry, Coping, Well-being, Pro-environmental behavior, Climate pessimism, Climate optimism, Adolescents
National Category
Psychology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-107348 (URN)10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102093 (DOI)001063573800001 ()2-s2.0-85168350711 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Swedish Research Council Formas, 2007-5417 2017-00880
Available from: 2023-08-03 Created: 2023-08-03 Last updated: 2023-10-03Bibliographically approved
Jylhä, K., Ojala, M., Odisho, S. & Riise, A. (2023). Climate-friendly food choice intentions among emerging adults: Extending the theory of planned behavior with objective ambivalence, climate-change worry and optimism. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article ID 1178449.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Climate-friendly food choice intentions among emerging adults: Extending the theory of planned behavior with objective ambivalence, climate-change worry and optimism
2023 (English)In: Frontiers in Psychology, E-ISSN 1664-1078, Vol. 14, article id 1178449Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Climate-friendly food choices are still relatively rarely addressed in studies investigating climate engagement, particularly among young people. We therefore examine which factors correlate with intentions to make these choices among emerging adults. Our overarching theoretical framework is the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), which we extended with emotional factors (climate-change worry and optimism) and attitudinal ambivalence. We found that all factors included, except for optimism, correlated with the food-choice intentions. Climate-change worry was the second strongest predictor, after attitudes. Moreover, a measure of objective attitudinal ambivalence correlated negatively with food-choice intentions and moderated the correlation between attitudes and intentions by weakening it. The results support the validity of using the TPB model when explaining intentions to make climate-friendly food choices among young people. However, our results suggest that it is also important to consider emotions—in this case climate-related worry—and the existence of conflicting evaluations about choosing climate-friendly food.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Frontiers Media S.A., 2023
Keywords
Young people, pro-environmental behavior, food choices, climate-change worry, Attitudinal ambivalence
National Category
Psychology (excluding Applied Psychology)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-106016 (URN)10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1178449 (DOI)001019317800001 ()37408959 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85164473134 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Swedish Research Council Formas, 2017-00880Swedish Research Council, 2018-00782
Available from: 2023-05-22 Created: 2023-05-22 Last updated: 2023-08-01Bibliographically approved
Ojala, M. (2023). Hope and climate-change engagement from a psychological perspective. Current Opinion in Psychology, 49, Article ID 101514.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Hope and climate-change engagement from a psychological perspective
2023 (English)In: Current Opinion in Psychology, ISSN 2352-250X, Vol. 49, article id 101514Article, review/survey (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This article reviews recent research about climate-change hope and engagement. Cognitive climate-change hope is consistently positively related to engagement, while the results are less consistent regarding hope as an emotion. It is argued that when conducting research about hope as an emotion sources of hope need to be considered, since they can be both constructive and less constructive seen from a climate-change engagement perspective. Additionally, collective climate-change action can lead to constructive hope. The conclusion is that in future research there is a need to go beyond the dichotomy between cognition and emotion and in interventions to go beyond optimistic messages and take into account preconditions for constructive hope.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Elsevier, 2023
Keywords
hope, climate change, climate-change engagement, pro-environmental behavior, coping
National Category
Psychology (excluding Applied Psychology)
Research subject
Psychology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-102072 (URN)10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101514 (DOI)000902123300021 ()36502586 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85145559138 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Swedish Research Council, 2021-04607
Available from: 2022-11-03 Created: 2022-11-03 Last updated: 2023-01-23Bibliographically approved
Ojala, M. (2023). How do children, adolescents, and young adults relate to climate change? Implications for developmental psychology. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 20(6), 929-943
Open this publication in new window or tab >>How do children, adolescents, and young adults relate to climate change? Implications for developmental psychology
2023 (English)In: European Journal of Developmental Psychology, ISSN 1740-5629, E-ISSN 1740-5610, Vol. 20, no 6, p. 929-943Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Climate change is an existential threat facing humanity on a global scale. To handle this problem all societal actors, including young people, need to get involved. This narrative review focuses on what implications climate change has for research in developmental psychology. It is argued that how young people relate to climate change is closely associated with key issues dealt with in this research field. The aim of the article is to present an overview of research about young people and climate change concerning four interrelated topics: (a) climate change and mental wellbeing (b) coping with climate change (c) private-sphere pro-environmental behavior as a form of pro-social development d) climate change and political socialization. The emphasis is on young people from middle childhood to early adulthood. Implications for future research are discussed, for instance, the need of more longitudinal and intervention studies. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Routledge, 2023
Keywords
Climate-change worry, pro-environmental behavior, coping, mental wellbeing, positive youth development
National Category
Psychology (excluding Applied Psychology)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-100214 (URN)10.1080/17405629.2022.2108396 (DOI)000836034500001 ()2-s2.0-85135256242 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Swedish Research Council Formas, 2017-00880
Available from: 2022-07-22 Created: 2022-07-22 Last updated: 2023-12-08Bibliographically approved
Veijonaho, S., Ojala, M., Hietajarvi, L. & Salmela-Aro, K. (2023). Profiles of climate change distress and climate denialism during adolescence: A two-cohort longitudinal study. International Journal of Behavioral Development
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Profiles of climate change distress and climate denialism during adolescence: A two-cohort longitudinal study
2023 (English)In: International Journal of Behavioral Development, ISSN 0165-0254, E-ISSN 1464-0651Article in journal (Refereed) Epub ahead of print
Abstract [en]

This study investigates adolescents' climate change distress and climate denialism profiles with two cohorts (born in 2008 and 2006) using longitudinal data from two waves collected in 2020 and 2021 (N = 3,002). In addition, the explanatory similarity of the subgroups regarding general well-being and pro-environmental behavior was studied. Four profiles were identified. The largest group was named the normative-carefree group because they had low climate change distress and climate denialism. Another group named denialists also had low distress but higher denial. Both these groups were associated with relatively good well-being. The third group had elevated climate change-related emotional distress and low climate denial and was therefore named the emotionally involved group. They engaged in pro-environmental behavior the most. The last and the smallest group was called the overburdened because they had elevated distress accompanied by denial; belongingness to the group was related to low well-being. Estimated transition patterns showed that the profiles were unstable within a 1-year span. The results endorse that adolescents' climate change distress is ongoing and developing all the time, rather than being something permanent. The results also show that both climate change distress and climate denialism can co-exist among adolescents.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Sage Publications, 2023
Keywords
Climate change distress, climate anxiety, climate denialism, youth well-being, pro-environmental behavior, latent transition analysis
National Category
Psychology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-109550 (URN)10.1177/01650254231205251 (DOI)001088438600001 ()2-s2.0-85175080900 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Academy of Finland, 336138 340794
Note

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was supported by Academy of Finland (projects TeensGoGreen, 336138 and ClimComp, 340794) and the Strategic Research Council of the Academy of Finland (project Growing Mind, 312529).

Available from: 2023-11-06 Created: 2023-11-06 Last updated: 2023-12-08Bibliographically approved
Jylhä, K., Stanley, S. K., Ojala, M. & Clarke, E. J. R. (2023). Science Denial: A Narrative Review and Recommendations for Future Research and Practice. European Psychologist, 28(3), 151-161
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Science Denial: A Narrative Review and Recommendations for Future Research and Practice
2023 (English)In: European Psychologist, ISSN 1016-9040, E-ISSN 1878-531X, Vol. 28, no 3, p. 151-161Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

Science denial has adverse consequences at individual and societal levels and even for the future of our planet. The present article aimed to answer the question: What leads people to deny even the strongest evidence and distrust the scientific method? The article provides a narrative review of research on the underpinnings of science denial, with the main focus on climate change denial. Perspectives that are commonly studied separately are integrated. We review key findings on the roles of disinformation and basic cognitive processes, motivated reasoning (focusing on ideology and populism), and emotion regulation in potentially shaping (or not shaping) views on science and scientific topics. We also include research on youth, a group in an important transition phase in life that is the future decision-makers but less commonly focused on in the research field. In sum, we describe how the manifestations of denial can stem from cognitive biases, motivating efforts to find seemingly rational support for desirable conclusions, or attempts to regulate emotions when feeling threatened or powerless. To foster future research agendas and mindful applications of the results, we identify some research gaps (most importantly related to cross cultural considerations) and examine the unique features or science denial as an object of psychological research. Based on the review, we make recommendations on measurement, science communication, and education.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Hogrefe, 2023
Keywords
science denial, climate change denial, motivated reasoning, misinformation, ideological attitudes
National Category
Psychology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-101700 (URN)10.1027/1016-9040/a000487 (DOI)000897914500001 ()2-s2.0-85144516893 (Scopus ID)
Funder
Forte, Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, 2021-00592Swedish Research Council, 2018-00782
Available from: 2022-10-09 Created: 2022-10-09 Last updated: 2023-11-16Bibliographically approved
Ogunbode, C., Doran, R., Hanss, D., Ojala, M., Salmela-Aro, K., van den Broek, K. L., . . . Karasu, M. (2022). Climate anxiety, wellbeing and pro-environmental action: Correlates of negative emotional responses to climate change in 32 countries. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 84, Article ID 101887.
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Climate anxiety, wellbeing and pro-environmental action: Correlates of negative emotional responses to climate change in 32 countries
Show others...
2022 (English)In: Journal of Environmental Psychology, ISSN 0272-4944, E-ISSN 1522-9610, Vol. 84, article id 101887Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This study explored the correlates of climate anxiety in a diverse range of national contexts. We analysed cross-sectional data gathered in 32 countries (N = 12,246). Our results show that climate anxiety is positively related to rate of exposure to information about climate change impacts, the amount of attention people pay to climate change information, and perceived descriptive norms about emotional responding to climate change. Climate anxiety was also positively linked to pro-environmental behaviours and inversely related to mental wellbeing. Notably, climate anxiety had a significant inverse association with mental wellbeing in 31 out of 32 countries, and with pro-environmental behaviour in 24 countries, it only predicted environmental activism in 12 countries. Our findings highlight contextual boundaries to engagement in environmental action as an antidote to climate anxiety, and the broad international significance of negative climate-related emotions as a plausible threat to wellbeing.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Academic Press, 2022
Keywords
Climate change anxiety, Climate change, Wellbeing, Pro-environmental behaviour, Climate activism, Emotions
National Category
Psychology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-101699 (URN)10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101887 (DOI)000922803600001 ()2-s2.0-85142198148 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2022-10-09 Created: 2022-10-09 Last updated: 2023-03-03Bibliographically approved
Ojala, M. (2022). Commentary: Climate change worry among adolescents-on the importance of going beyond the constructive-unconstructive dichotomy to explore coping efforts-a commentary on Sciberras and Fernando (2021). Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 27(1), 89-91
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Commentary: Climate change worry among adolescents-on the importance of going beyond the constructive-unconstructive dichotomy to explore coping efforts-a commentary on Sciberras and Fernando (2021)
2022 (English)In: Child and Adolescent Mental Health, ISSN 1475-357X, E-ISSN 1475-3588, Vol. 27, no 1, p. 89-91Article in journal, Editorial material (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

This opinion piece comments on Sciberras and Fernando's (2021) article in which an 8-year longitudinal study is presented. The authors investigate trajectories of climate change worry through adolescence and associations with measures of depression and engagement with news and politics in late adolescence. Their objective is to explore whether climate change worry is a constructive or unconstructive psychological phenomenon. Their conclusion is that it is mainly an adaptive response but, for some groups, such as young people with pre-existing mental health problems, climate change worry could exacerbate their difficulties. In this commentary, it is argued that since research has found diverse results regarding whether climate worry is adaptive or not, one should perhaps not focus so much on the emotion itself, but rather on how people cope with their worry. Some examples of how young people cope with climate change are presented, and it is argued that taking account of these coping strategies in future longitudinal studies would be beneficial.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Routledge, 2022
Keywords
Climate change worry, climate change engagement, coping, meaning-focused coping, subjective well-being, young people
National Category
Public Health, Global Health, Social Medicine and Epidemiology
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-95950 (URN)10.1111/camh.12530 (DOI)000729671700001 ()34904352 (PubMedID)2-s2.0-85121151948 (Scopus ID)
Available from: 2021-12-15 Created: 2021-12-15 Last updated: 2023-12-08Bibliographically approved
Ojala, M. (2022). Hope Through Learning to Live with Ambivalence: Emerging Adults’ Agency Work in the Face of Sustainability Conflicts. In: Margaretha Häggström; Catarina Schmidt (Ed.), Relational and Critical Perspectives on Education for Sustainable Development: Belonging and Sensing in a Vanishing World (pp. 129-142). Springer
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Hope Through Learning to Live with Ambivalence: Emerging Adults’ Agency Work in the Face of Sustainability Conflicts
2022 (English)In: Relational and Critical Perspectives on Education for Sustainable Development: Belonging and Sensing in a Vanishing World / [ed] Margaretha Häggström; Catarina Schmidt, Springer, 2022, p. 129-142Chapter in book (Other academic)
Abstract [en]

To live in a sustainable manner is not easy, and young people often experience pessimism and low efficacy concerning problems such as climate change. This chapter explores how young adults acquire practice-based hope, or not, by investigating how they cope with ambivalence about energy saving. Results are interpreted in relation to psychological and educational theories, and practical implications for education are discussed. 

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Springer, 2022
Series
Sustainable Development Goals Series, ISSN 2523-3084, E-ISSN 2523-3092
Keywords
Sustainability conflicts, Action competence, Psychological hope theories, Agency work, Hope and ambivalence, Complex thinking
National Category
Educational Sciences Psychology (excluding Applied Psychology)
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:oru:diva-100201 (URN)10.1007/978-3-030-84510-0_9 (DOI)9783030845100 (ISBN)9783030845094 (ISBN)
Funder
Swedish Research Council Formas, 2017-00880
Available from: 2022-07-19 Created: 2022-07-19 Last updated: 2022-07-26Bibliographically approved
Projects
Learning about global environmental problems: Emotional aspects, emotion regulation, and a sense of purpose among children, adolescents, and young adults [2007-01284_Formas]; Uppsala University
Organisations
Identifiers
ORCID iD: ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0002-6613-5974

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