Kübra ECER, Murat ÇETİN, Selami Varol ÜLKER

İklim Krizi ve Tüketici Davranışı: İklim Değişikliği Anksiyetesi ve Sürdürülebilir Tüketim İlişkisi

İklim değişikliğinin psikolojik etkileri üzerine yapılan araştırmalar her geçen gün artmaktadır ve yapılan çalışmalar iklim değişikliği anksiyetesinin, yapıcı bir endişe olarak sürdürülebilir üretim ve tüketime olumlu katkı sağlayabileceğini öne sürmektedir. Farklı ülkelerde gerçekleştirilen çalışmalarda, iklim değişikliği ve sürdürülebilir bir gelecek konusundaki endişeler nedeniyle, genç bireyler arasında daha yüksek iklim değişikliği anksiyetesi bulunduğu iddia edilmektedir. Bu keşifsel çalışmada, Türkiye'deki genç bireyler arasında iklim değişikliği anksiyetesi ve sürdürülebilir tüketim davranışı arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemej amaçlanmaktadır. Çalışmada öncelikle iklim değişikliği anksiyetesi ve sürdürülebilir tüketim için kavramsal bir çerçeve sunulmaktadır. İklim krizinin görünür etkileri nedeniyle kaygı veya anksiyete yaşayan bireylerin iklim değişikliği ile mücadeleye gireceği ve sürdürülebilir tüketim davranışını benimseyeceği varsayımına dayanan çalışmada, katılımcıların düşük bir iklim değişikliği anksiyete düzeyine sahip olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır. Bununla birlikte, katılımcıların iklim değişikliği anksiyete düzeyleri ile sürdürülebilir tüketim davranışları arasındaki ilişkinin tespitine dair kurulan yapısal eşitlik modelinde; iklim değişikliği anksiyetesi ile sürdürülebilir tüketim davranışı arasında pozitif bir ilişki olduğu sonucuna ulaşılmıştır (β=0.295, p<0.001). İklim krizinin aciliyeti göz önüne alındığında, bu çalışma iklim değişikliği anksiyetesinin sürdürülebilir tüketim davranışı için motive edici bir faktör olduğunu öne sürerek ve bu alanda daha ayrıntılı araştırmalara olan ihtiyacı vurgulayarak literatüre katkı sağlamaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

İklim değişikliği, iklim değişikliği anksiyetesi, eko-anksiyete, sürdürülebilir tüketim, tüketici davranışı

The Climate Crisis and Consumer Behavior: The Relationship between Climate Change Anxiety and Sustainable Consumption

Research on the psychological effects of climate change is increasing, and studies suggest that climate change anxiety (CCA) can positively contribute to sustainable production and consumption as a constructive concern. Studies conducted in various countries have particularly highlighted higher levels of CCA among young individuals due to concerns about a sustainable future in the face of climate change. This exploratory study aims to examine the relationship between CCA and sustainable consumption (SC) among young individuals in Turkey. Firstly, a conceptual framework is provided for CCA and SC. Based on the assumption that individuals experiencing anxiety or concern due to the visible impacts of climate crisis will engage in climate change mitigation and adopt sustainable consumption behavior (SCB), the study found that participants had a low level of CCA. However, structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed a positive relationship between CCA and SC (β=0.295, p<0.001) among the participants. Considering the urgency of the climate crisis, this study contributes to the literature by providing exploratory insights into the role of CCA as a motivating factor for SC, highlighting the need for further detailed research in this area.

Keywords:

climate change, climate change anxiety, eco-anxiety, Sustainable consumption, consumer behavior,

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