The role of cultural worldviews in predicating gambling risk perception and behavior in a Chinese sample
Objectives: We investigated the relationships between cultural worldviews, gam-bling risk perception, and gambling behavior with a sample of tourists in Macao.
Methods: Participants were enrolled at famous landmarks and casinos in Macao, China. Data were collected using several instruments to assess an individual's cultural world views, gambling risk perceptions, and gambling intentions.
Results: We found that the three-dimensional solution was valid for the Chinese version of the gambling expectancy scale. Correlational and mediational analyses revealed that the relationship between an individualistic worldview and gambling intention was fully mediated by gambling risk perception. Respondents with an egalitarian worldview perceived greater risk associated with gambling than those with other worldviews.
Conclusion: These findings demonstrated the important influence of cultural variables on perceived risk and behavior in gambling. Moreover, understanding gamblers' worldviews could be beneficial for problem gambling interventions. Future research directions and the limitations of the findings were discussed.
The new ecological paradigm and responses to climate change in China
The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a Chinese-Mandarin version of the revised new ecological paradigm (NEP-R) scale. In a sample of 515 Mandarin-speaking Chinese nationals, we first assessed the factor structure and internal consistency of the NEP-R and assessed its validity by examining associations with global warming risk perceptions and mitigation behavior. Respondents completed the NEP-R scale, together with measures of risk perception and mitigation behavior. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that a two-factor solution, reflecting ecocentric and anthropocentric worldviews, best fit the data. Multi-group path analysis revealed that respondents with stronger ecocentric and weaker anthropocentric worldviews perceived more risks associated with global warming. In turn, respondents who perceived more risks reported engaging in more global warming mitigation behaviors. But importantly, the path between risk perceptions and behavior was significantly stronger for highly educated respondents than for less educated respondents, suggesting that education may represent an important strategy for bridging the gap between perceived risks about global warming and action.
Worldviews, Risk Perceptions, and Adaptive Responses to Global Climate Change
The thesis had 3 main objectives: 1. To determine which cultural worldview dimensions were the strongest predictors of environmental risk perceptions, and whether the magnitude of these predictive relationships varied as a function of hazard type, sample composition, study location and worldview measure. This objective was accomplished by conducting a meta-analysis of the cultural theory and environmental risk perception literature. 2. To determine the suitability of three prominent worldview measures for explaining climate change risk perceptions and responses in a Chinese sample. This objective was accomplished using a large online survey of Chinese respondents, in conjunction with exploratory/confirmatory factor analyses and mediation analyses. 3. To assess the effectiveness of a climate change efficacy building intervention, based on Witte's Extended Parallel Processing Model (Witte, Meyer, & Marttell, 2012) in eliciting adaptive responses to climate change, and whether the intervention's effectiveness varied as function of participants' environmental worldviews. This objective was accomplished through a large experimental study in which Chinese respondents were randomly assigned to either a high threat - low efficacy or high threat - high efficacy climate change message. Moderation and mediation analyses evaluated the impact of the intervention on efficacy and message engagement/disengagement.