Existential Dread on Pro-Environmental Behavior in Young Adults | Academic Research Proposal
ABSTRACT: The effects of climate change encompass more than its ramifications on the natural environment. As we venture further into modernity that is drastically different from the last 150 years, it’s become apparent that the effects of changing environments on the human psyche are worth studying as social scientists. Specifically, it’s become important to analyze the effects of climate change discourse and action on the mental health of young adults. Young adults are faced with a constantly changing social landscape that appears to compound the effects of changes in the global natural environment. Soon, young adults will have most of the decision-making power in the United States. This paper analyzes the current mental health landscape of young adults, the classification of climate change as ambiguous loss associated with existential dread, and the effects of hope and coping mechanisms on decision making. The proposed study aims to determine a threshold of existential dread, classified as ecoanxiety, that would elicit pro-environmental behavior from young adults. The anticipated outcome of this study is a contribution towards a novel theoretical framework aimed at understanding the psychological load that climate change and other existential concerns have on the developing psyche of future generations.
