Implicit association test (IAT) toward climate change: A PRISMA systematic review

Abstract

Global environmental concerns affecting our planet require immediate action. To better understand the psychological dynamics underlying the adoption of pro-environmental behaviors, research increasingly directed its attention to the implicit (unconscious) psychological antecedents (attitudes) of the adoption of sustainable behaviors against climate change. The objective of this systematic review was to examine and summarize the current evidence for the association between the implicit attitudes related to climate change measured through the Implicit Association Test (IAT), and the explicit attitudes, beliefs, and identity toward climate change. Based on PRISMA guidelines, a structured electronic literature search of Google Scholar, PsycInfo, PubMed, Science Direct, PsycArticles, Sociological Abstracts, and Academic Search Complete was conducted. Of the 943 abstracts screened, only 18 studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies testified independence between implicit and explicit attitudes towards climate change (absence of correlation). Despite this, implicit attitudes still predicted pro-environmental identity, while contradictory results appeared with beliefs. This highlights the urgency of promoting new research to understand on a deeper level dynamics involving implicit attitudes.