The metacognitions of climate change

How do individuals think about global climate change? Although a body of research on the cognitive elements of climate change has begun to accumulate (e.g., Bord, O'Connor, & Fisher, 2000, few studies have distinguished between categories of cognitions. One key distinction is between primary, direct thoughts such as perceptions and evaluations, and secondary, indirect thoughts which reflect upon and control primary cognitions (Petty, Brinol, Tormala, & Wegner, 2007); secondary thoughts are thus considered metacognitive. This distinction is important to climate change engagement given that primary and secondary thoughts may exert independent effects on behavior. Three metacognitive elements of climate change are delineated: metacognitive knowledge, or assessments of confidence in one's thoughts; metacognitive certainty, or assessments of the likelihood of an outcome; and metacognitive importance, or the relative emphasis placed on one's thoughts. The relations between these dimensions and climate change-relevant behaviors are explored. Possibilities for future research are also discussed.