Journal article
Changing the World One Meme at a Time: The Effects of Climate Change Memes on Civic Engagement Intentions
Environmental communication, Vol.15(6), pp.749-764
08/18/2021
DOI: 10.1080/17524032.2021.1894197
Abstract
The risks that animals and humans face from climate change are frequently featured in climate change memes. Although memes may appear to some as silly jokes, little is known of the impact they may have in the formation and spread of individuals' perceived risk of climate change and intention to participate in climate change campaigns. This study tests the effect of climate change memes on the perceived risk of climate change and the intention of online engagement regarding climate change issues. Results show that exposure to climate change memes increases individual intentions of online civic engagement regarding climate change. Additionally, empathy is found to mediate this effect. However, risk perception of climate change is not altered after exposure to climate change memes.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Changing the World One Meme at a Time: The Effects of Climate Change Memes on Civic Engagement Intentions
- Creators
- Bingbing Zhang - Pennsylvania State UniversityJuliet Pinto - Pennsylvania State University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Environmental communication, Vol.15(6), pp.749-764
- Publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- DOI
- 10.1080/17524032.2021.1894197
- ISSN
- 1752-4032
- eISSN
- 1752-4040
- Number of pages
- 16
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 08/18/2021
- Academic Unit
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication; Center for Social Science Innovation
- Record Identifier
- 9984446413302771
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