'Climate change' from the audience perspective. Perception and interpretation of a scientific topic in the process of public communication. Climate change communication in online public arenas and its effects.

本研究项目的目的是研究一般媒体用户如何感知和解释气候变化，以及媒体如何影响他们的知识和态度。气候变化是一种抽象的现象，不能单独用感官感知。尽管关于人为全球变暖的科学共识越来越多，但科学产生的关于后果和程度的气候知识仍然相互矛盾、脆弱和不确定。媒体对于这个社会相关话题的传播是非常重要的。在本研究的第一和第二阶段，我们开发了媒体使用和媒体效应的多因子模型，并调查了1)媒体使用与气候变化知识、问题意识和行为意图之间的相关性；2)接受者的媒介占有过程。在第三阶段，我们将考察有关气候变化的在线交流。在过去的几年里，气候变化的在线传播已经变得越来越重要，但关于气候变化的在线传播的研究还很缺乏。这个研究项目将有助于填补这一研究空白。作为理论基础，我们将使用施密特（Schmidt）出版的互联网中的公众概念，并将其整合到我们的媒体使用和媒体效应的多因素模型中。这一概念考虑到在线内容的多样性，包括大众媒介和人际传播，以及媒体使用和接受的混合形式。我们假设公众的不同交际环境以及网络公共领域之间的联系会影响网络交际的感知、选择和效果。本文采用混合方法研究设计：1)对气候变化媒体接受和影响的实证研究进行meta分析，分析其对气候变化外行人知识的概念和操作。其目的是解释实证结果的不一致性，并在未来的研究中更精确地操作知识，特别是关于社会媒体中气候变化的外行知识。2)我们将对不同在线公共领域的气候变化传播进行定量在线内容分析，与KlimaRez II的小组调查同时进行，以比较结果。以及对在线内容的“生产者”进行额外的定量调查。3)我们将在不同的公共领域进行定性的网络分析，以检查讨论。4)我们将实现对在线气候传播“生产者”的参与性观察，以了解选择和接受的过程。这项研究设计使我们能够准确地检验不同在线公共领域的内容与气候相关知识和态度之间的关系。

The purpose of this research project is to examine how the general media users perceive and interpret climate change and how the media influence their knowledge and attitude. Climate change is an abstract phenomenon, which is not individually perceptible by the senses. Despite the increasing scientific consensus on the anthropogenic global warming, the scientifically generated climate knowledge concerning the consequences and extent remains conflicting, fragile and uncertain. The media are very important for the communication of this socially relevant topic. In the first and second research phases of this project, we developed the multi-factorial model of media use and media effects and investigated 1) the correlation between media use and knowledge, problem awareness and behavioural intentions regarding climate change; and 2) the process of media appropriation of the recipients. In the third phase, we are going to examine the online communication on climate change. Online communication in general and especially concerning climate change has become more relevant within the last years, but there is a lack of research of online communication on climate change. This research project will contribute to fill this research gap. As theoretical foundation, we will use an adapted concept of public in the Internet of Schmidt (in print), which will be integrated into our multi-factorial model of media use and media effects. The concept takes into account the diversity of online contents, which include mass-mediated and interpersonal communication and mixed forms of media use and reception. We assume that different communicative settings of public, as well as the connection among online public arenas influence the perception, selection and effect of online communication. We have a mixed methods research design:1) We will conduct a meta-analysis of empirical studies regarding the media reception and effects of climate change to analyse their concepts and operationalizations of the laypeople-knowledge on climate change. Its purpose is to explain inconsistencies in the empirical findings and operationalize knowledge more precisely in future research, particularly about laypeople-knowledge on climate change in Social Media. 2) We will hold a quantitative online content analysis on climate change communication in different online public arenas, which are conducted at the same time as the panel survey from KlimaRez II to compare the findings, as well as an additional quantitative survey of 'produsers' of the online contents. 3) We will conduct a qualitative netnographic analysis in different public arenas to examine discussions. 4) We will realise a participant observation of 'produsers' of online climate communication to understand the processes of selection and reception.This research design enables us to examine precisely the relation between contents of different online public arenas and climate-related knowledge and attitude.