Date of Graduation

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Crop, Soil and Environmental Sciences

Advisor/Mentor

Casandra Cox

Committee Member

Isabel Whitehead-Adams

Second Committee Member

Kelsey Greub

Abstract

Climate change is a pressing issue that young people have been exposed to since childhood. Fear is the predominant emotional appeal used in climate change messaging, though this appeal has been shown to cause disengagement. To motivate young people to engage in climate change, this study seeks to understand how Southern college students respond to different emotional appeals in climate change messaging. The role politics and religion play are also analyzed in this study. Three focus groups were shown headlines and digital posters that utilized hope, fear, and influential figures in their messages. A moderator guide was used to prompt discussion on the responses to these different messages. Participants said the phrase “climate change” made them feel fear. Participants stated that the climate change issue is highly politicized. Participants also emphasized the lack of effect of their personal actions in solving climate change. Participants were more engaged with the hopeful, positive-based messages, especially those that highlighted community action. Presentation of climate change messages by like-minded groups made participants more likely to attend the advertised events and be more engaged. Religion played a slightly larger role in climate change perceptions than political affiliation did. This study was limited by the number of participants and difficulty in recruiting participants from Republican and religious registered student organizations. This might lead the study to overly represent the views of members of environmental registered student organizations. The findings of this study can be used to shape future climate change messages, especially those catered to Southern college students. Reshaping the messaging of climate change will affect the actions taken to address climate change. There is much opportunity to expand this study to a larger demographic.

Keywords

climate change communication; emotional appeals; climate change media; climate change marches, disengagement

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