Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41243048›Full record

ArticleCognitive research: principles and implications2025

Thinking climate change through the lens of abstractness: a multi-task and multi-setting investigation into generational differences in the conceptualization of ecology.

Ilenia Falcinelli, Chiara Fini, Claudia Mazzuca, Guido Alessandri, Fabio Alivernini, Roberto Baiocco, Andrea Chirico, Lorenzo Filosa, Tommaso Palombi, Jessica Pistella and 3 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Cognitive research: principles and implications, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Ilenia FalcinelliDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy. ilenia.falcinelli@uniroma1.it.ORCID 0000-0002-7692-5881
Chiara FiniDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Claudia MazzucaDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Guido AlessandriDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Fabio AliverniniDepartment of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Roberto BaioccoDepartment of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Andrea ChiricoDepartment of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Lorenzo FilosaDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Tommaso PalombiDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Jessica PistellaDepartment of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Simone TavolucciDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Fabio LucidiDepartment of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Anna M BorghiDepartment of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.

Funding

National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) Investment PE8 - Project AGE-IT (Spoke 4: Healthy aging)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

To face ecological disasters, one of the major emergencies of modern times, fostering pro-environmental behaviors appears crucial. While research explored various behavioral drivers, few studies addressed the conceptual representation of ecological events at different ages. Our preregistered study fills this gap, examining how different generations conceptualize ecology, considering evidence suggesting a link between climate change abstractness and willingness to act pro-environmentally. Older (> 65 yo) and younger (18-35 yo) individuals performed multiple tasks targeting conceptual processing (categorization), semantic organization (rating), and conceptual representation (feature generation) of ecological (e.g., deforestation) compared to concrete (e.g., spoon) and abstract (e.g., affirmation) concepts. In the categorization task, participants responded to critical ecological, concrete, and abstract words but refrained from responding to animal words. The rating task involved evaluating critical words on semantic aspects (e.g., Abstractness, Familiarity), and the feature generation task listing properties true for each concept. Innovatively, participants were tested in three possible settings (indoor, natural outdoor, urbanized outdoor) to test whether exposure to nature impacts categorization.Results showed that independent from the setting, ecological concepts were similar to abstract concepts, especially in semantic organization and conceptual representation, or more abstractly characterized than them, especially in conceptual processing. Age differences were minimal, but older adults, who showed more positive attitudes toward ecology and nature, characterized ecological concepts more concretely than younger adults.Theoretically, the multifarious characterization of ecological phenomena supports the flexibility of our conceptual system and points to the necessity of overcoming the classical concrete-abstract dichotomy and studying concepts in a more "situated" manner. From a societal point of view, the age-dependent abstractness of ecological concepts might inform policies on how to improve climate change campaigns, tailoring them to different age groups.

Indexed as

Climate ChangeConcept FormationEcologyThinkingAdolescentAdultAgedAge FactorsAgingFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSemanticsYoung AdultAbstractnessConceptualizationEcologyExposure to natureOlder adultsYounger adults

Identifiers

PMID41243048
PMCPMC12620345

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.