Changing Consumer Perceptions and Behaviors Toward Climate Change in the United States — Presentation Detail — Celebration of Scholars

Instructions

Student presentations must have a faculty sponsor.

Abstracts must include a title and a description of the research, scholarship, or creative work. The description should be 150-225 words in length and constructed in a format or style appropriate for the presenter’s discipline.

The following points should be addressed within the selected format or style for the abstract:

A clear statement of the problem or question you pursued, or the scholarly goal or creative theme achieved in your work.
A brief comment about the significance or uniqueness of the work.
A clear description of the methods used to achieve the purpose or goals for the work.
A statement of the conclusions, results, outcomes, or recommendations, or if the work is still in progress, the results you expect to report at the event.

Presenter photographs should be head and shoulder shots comparable to passport photos.

Additional Information

More information is available at carthage.edu/celebration-scholars/. The following are members of the Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Committee who are eager to listen to ideas and answer questions:

Jun Wang
Kim Instenes
John Kirk
Nora Nickels
Andrew Pustina
James Ripley

Changing Consumer Perceptions and Behaviors Toward Climate Change in the United States

Name: Melanie Jenner
Major: Marketing
Hometown: Cary, Illinois
Faculty Sponsor:
Other Sponsors:
Type of research: Senior thesis

Abstract

Abstract: Changing Consumer Perceptions and Behaviors Toward

Climate Change in the United States

Climate change, its causes, and what actions can alleviate the effects have become an increasingly prevalent topic of discussions on household and globally political levels.

As stated by several sources, it reveals that the United States comes to be home to one of the highest concentration of climate change doubters and/or those who believe mankind has nothing to do with the cause. A recent executive order removed the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord, making it one of two countries not participating in the global oppositional force against climate change.

This paper explores the motives and incentives behind two different forms of environmentally responsible behavior: consumption and curtailment, and how they can be implemented into a society.

The author briefly discusses scientific evidence from institutions like NASA that elaborate on climate change and its potential effects, affirming the beliefs of many countries that it is a problem that must be confronted by mankind.

Collection and analysis of secondary data through case studies and peer-reviewed articles produced common trends in what inspires countries and people on grand and residential levels to actively implement techniques that help to lessen their environmental impact in hopes to ease the impacts of climate change.

The research shows that incentive to adopt environmentally responsible behaviors is reached by providing both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. With regards to climate change, the text explores the idea of localizing the problem and tieing personal experiences of the negative effects in order to inspire people to act.

The author applies the research in two discussions: switching from disposable plastic water bottles to reusable ones (consumption behavior) and implementing behaviors that cut-back on carbon emissions (curtailment behaviors). These discussions explore the problem that needs to be solved, the solution, and how to inspire people to act accordingly.

It is hoped that this study can act as a guide for people or organizations moving to implement behaviors in society that help combat climate change. If done on an aggregate level across the United States, the implementation of environmentally responsible behaviors could produce drastic effects on the acceleration of climate change.

Poster file