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

## TL;DR

This study explores how older and younger people understand ecological concepts, finding that ecological ideas are often seen as abstract and that age influences how they are conceptualized.

## Contribution

The study introduces a novel multi-task and multi-setting approach to examine generational differences in conceptualizing ecology.

## Key findings

- Ecological concepts were found to be similar to abstract concepts in semantic organization and conceptual representation.
- Older adults characterized ecological concepts more concretely than younger adults, despite showing more positive attitudes toward ecology.
- Age differences in conceptualizing ecological phenomena were minimal, but setting had no significant impact on categorization.

## 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.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41235-025-00689-4.