Date of Award
Spring 4-7-2010
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department
Psychology
First Advisor
Marci Culley
Second Advisor
Julia Perilla
Third Advisor
Gabriel Kuperminc
Abstract
Global climate change (GCC) may be the most pressing social and environmental issue of our time. The use of fossil fuels tops the list of human behaviors that contribute to GCC. Several ‘alternative’ energy sources are now being considered in an effort to mitigate GCC, including—controversially—nuclear energy. Examined here were environmental worldview and faith in science as moderators of the relationship between beliefs about and attitudes toward nuclear energy (ATNE). Participants were 272 college students who completed an on-line survey. Predictor variables were beliefs about whether nuclear energy contributes to GCC (GCC-beliefs) and to energy independence (EI-beliefs). Results indicated that environmental worldview moderated the negative relationship between GCC-beliefs and ATNE. Results implied that the effectiveness of arguments salient to the current nuclear energy debate concerning GCC have a medium effect on ATNE except when people are more ecocentric in their environmental worldviews.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.57709/1432367
Recommended Citation
Carton, Adam D., "Environmental Worldview and Faith in Science as Moderators of the Relationship between Beliefs about and Attitudes toward Nuclear Energy." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2010.
doi: https://doi.org/10.57709/1432367