Yao Yuan, Dai Zhujun
School of Journalism and Publishing, Jilin Engineering Normal University, Changchun, 130052, China.
BMC Psychol. 2025 May 7;13(1):483. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-02773-2.
This study examines the relationship between exposure to climate change news and eco-anxiety in the Chinese general population, exploring the moderating effects of first-person effect (FPE) and third-person effect (TPE).
Utilizing a non-representative sample of 1483 Chinese adults, we conducted an online survey assessing media consumption across traditional and digital platforms, FPE, TPE, and eco-anxiety. The survey included structured items measuring the frequency and impact of climate change news exposure, alongside scales for assessing eco-anxiety and perceptual biases (FPE and TPE).
Preliminary analyses indicate a significant correlation between higher exposure to climate change news and increased levels of eco-anxiety. Moderation analysis revealed that both FPE and TPE significantly influenced the relationship between news exposure and eco-anxiety, with FPE strengthening and TPE weakening this association.
The findings suggest that the way individuals perceive the impact of climate change news-on themselves versus others-moderates the emotional response to such news. Specifically, those who perceive a greater personal impact (FPE) experience higher eco-anxiety, whereas those who perceive a greater impact on others (TPE) report lower anxiety levels. This study highlights the need for nuanced media communication strategies that consider these perceptual biases to manage public emotional responses to climate change effectively.
本研究考察了中国普通人群接触气候变化新闻与生态焦虑之间的关系，探讨了第一人称效应（FPE）和第三人称效应（TPE）的调节作用。
我们以1483名中国成年人作为非代表性样本，开展了一项在线调查，评估传统和数字平台上的媒体消费情况、第一人称效应、第三人称效应和生态焦虑。该调查包括衡量气候变化新闻接触频率和影响的结构化项目，以及评估生态焦虑和感知偏差（第一人称效应和第三人称效应）的量表。
初步分析表明，更多地接触气候变化新闻与生态焦虑水平的增加之间存在显著相关性。调节分析显示，第一人称效应和第三人称效应均显著影响新闻接触与生态焦虑之间的关系，其中第一人称效应强化了这种关联，而第三人称效应则弱化了这种关联。
研究结果表明，个体对气候变化新闻影响自己还是他人的认知方式，调节了对这类新闻的情绪反应。具体而言，那些认为气候变化新闻对自己影响更大（第一人称效应）的人，生态焦虑水平更高；而那些认为气候变化新闻对他人影响更大（第三人称效应）的人，焦虑水平较低。本研究强调，需要制定细致入微的媒体传播策略，考虑这些感知偏差，以有效管理公众对气候变化的情绪反应。
