The intergenerational transmission of preferences for protecting the climate: Evidence from a tandem survey of adolescents and their parents

We investigate the intergenerational relationship in preferences for climate protection among children and their parents.
For that purpose, we conduct a survey experiment in a sample of 2,000 adolescents between the age of 14 and 17 years as well as their parents. Within our survey, we elicit a number of parallel questions related to the children’s and parents’ preferences for climate protection. In addition, we run a survey experiment where a randomly selected treatment group of parents is informed about the child’s view on the importance that their parents engage in actions protecting the climate. After information provision, parents in the treatment group and in the uninformed control group are asked about their (i) donations to a climate-friendly cause, (ii) their preferences for policies aiming to protect the climate (e.g., government investments in renewable energy) and (iii) their private actions for climate protection (e.g., consumption behavior).

Participants will answer our survey questions via an online platform.

In the survey experiment, we investigate the impact of the children’s importance that their parents engage in actions protecting the climate. For that purpose, we first ask children to state how important it is to them that parents engage in climate protection. Subsequently, parents are randomly selected to be either in a control group or in the treatment group that receives the corresponding answer from their child.

[Elicitation of treatment information]: Children are asked the following question: How much do you agree with the following statement? “It is important to me that my parents engage in actions against climate change and global warming.”
Children can then indicate one of the following answers: strongly agree, mostly agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree, mostly disagree, and strongly disagree.
After responding to this question, we also prompt children to the fact that their answer may be passed on to their parents. We then give them the opportunity to consent or not consent to the disclosure of their response.

[Information provision]: Parents in the treatment group receive the following information:
Before you started answering the questionnaire, we asked your child how much he or she agreed with the statement "It is important to me that my parents engage in actions against climate change and global warming."
Now we would like to share your child's response with you. Your child [answer of child] to the statement "It is important to me that my parents advocate for action on climate change and global warming."

[Outcome questions]: After the treatment, members of the treatment group will be asked about their (i) donations to a climate-friendly cause, (ii) their preferences for policies aiming to protect the climate, and (iii) their private actions for climate protection (see description of outcomes below).
Members of the control group answer the outcome questions without receiving the information mentioned above.

2022-06-28

2022-08-01

Our primary outcomes of interest are parents’ (i) donations to a climate-friendly cause, (ii) their preferences for policies aiming to protect the climate and (iii) their private actions for climate protection.

First, we ask about parents’ donations to a climate-friendly cause. The corresponding outcome question is worded as follows:
“By taking part in this survey, you will be entered into a prize draw for 50 euros. Participation in the lottery is automatic. This means that you do not have to do anything else to participate in the lottery.
In case you win, you now have the opportunity to split the 50 euros between yourself and the Fridays for Future movement. Fridays for Future is committed to taking action to combat climate change and global warming.
If you win, the money you would like to keep for yourself will be credited to your survey account after survey completion. The money you choose to donate will be sent to Fridays for Future.
If you win, how much of the 50 euros would you like to donate in total?”
Respondents answers are recorded on an open field that takes values from 0 to 50. In addition, respondents have the option to indicate that they would like to donate to the case, but not to Fridays for Future. These respondents are then given the option to donate between 0 and 50 Euro to the organisation WWF.

Second, we ask about parental preferences for policies aiming to protect the climate which is worded as follows:
“Do you favour or oppose the following policy measures?
Please remember that such measures often have to be financed through higher taxes.”
- Ending the extraction of fossil fuels (e.g., coal, gas, petroleum)
- Increasing government investment in renewable energy (e.g., wind or solar power)
- Expansion of local public transport (e.g. bus or train)
- Voting rights from the age of 16 to increase the participation of young people in political decision-making
For each policy, answers can be provided on a 5-point scale: strongly favour, somewhat favour, somewhat oppose, strongly oppose, neither nor.

Third, we ask about private actions for climate protection which is worded as follows:
“In the future, how likely are you to engage in the following actions to protect the climate?”
- Avoid air travel
- Mainly use public transportation or bicycle or walk
- Eat little meat
- Buy sustainable and climate-friendly products (e.g. clothing or food)
Answers can be provided on a 5-point scale: very likely, somewhat likely, somewhat unlikely, and very unlikely, neither nor.

To better understand the emergence of the treatment effects and to investigate potential mediating channels of our treatments, we ask two further outcome questions: parents’ (i) reasoning for donating the specified amount to a climate-friendly cause and (ii) posterior beliefs about a corresponding donation behaviour of their child.

In addition, we plan to perform heterogeneity analyses with respect to (i) parents’ prior beliefs about how important their child reports climate change concerns are to the child (ii) personal anxiety about the climate change, and (iii) perceptions about which generation mainly bears the consequences of the climate change.

Finally, to benchmark the parental view against the view of their children, we will also ask all children about their perceptions about who bears the cost of climate change, how important they see actions against climate change and donation behaviour (see sequence of events below).

First, we ask a prior belief question to all parents which is worded as follows:
Now we would like to ask you how important it is to your child that you engage in actions against climate change and global warming. How much do you think your child agrees with the following statement? "It is important to me that my parents engage in actions against climate change and global warming."
Which of the following response categories do you think your child would choose?
Answer can be given on the following 7-point scale: strongly agree, mostly agree, tend to agree, tend to disagree, mostly disagree, and strongly disagree.

Second, we elicit the reasons why parents decided to donate a certain amount of money to a climate-friendly cause after the respective outcome question.
An open-ended question is worded as follows: In the previous question, you decided to donate [answer from previous question] euros. Now we would like to know why you decided to do this. Please describe as briefly and as accurately as possible how you came to your decision.
Maximum 100 words.

A related closed-ended question is worded as follows: To what extent do you agree with the following statements about your decision?
I decided to donate [answer from previous question] euros
- Because my child would like me to make this decision.
- Because this decision is good for my child.
- Because this decision is good for the community.
- Because this decision expresses how I feel about climate protection.
- Because this decision expresses how I feel about Fridays for Future.
Respondents can choose from one of the following 5 answer categories: strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree, neither nor

Third, we ask about respondents’ personal anxiety towards climate change as follows: How much do you agree with the following statements?
- I am concerned about climate change and its consequences.
- I have already been politically involved in the fight against climate change (e.g. in demonstrations).
Respondents can choose from one of the following 5 answer categories: strongly agree, somewhat agree, somewhat disagree, strongly disagree, neither nor

Fourth, we elicit respondents’ perceptions about which generation bears the consequences of the climate change as follows:
How much do you think the following groups of people will be affected by the consequences of climate change?
- My partner (if applicable) and me
- My parents
- My children
- My (future) grandchildren
Respondents can choose from one of the following 5 answer categories: strongly affected, somewhat affected, somewhat not affected, strongly not affected, neither nor.

We conduct the initial survey in a sample of 2,000 adolescents aged between 14 and 17 years and their parents. The survey is conducted in cooperation with a German survey institute. The recruitment of the participants is managed by the survey company, which collects the data via an online platform. That is, our participants answer the survey questions autonomously on their own digital devices. Randomization is carried out by the survey company at the individual level, using a computer.

Our survey is structured as follows: We first survey parents in a baseline survey. Then, we survey the children. Finally, we will run a follow-up survey with parents in which the experiment will be conducted. In the follow-up survey, eligible parents are randomly assigned the information treatment group (p=0.5) or the control group (p=0.5). Parents whose child does not consent to the distribution of his/her answer will be automatically selected into the control group questionnaire.

Sequence of events in the initial parent questionnaire:
1. Elicitation of personal anxiety towards climate change
2. Elicitation of preferences for policies aiming at climate protection
3. Elicitation of private actions for climate protection
4. Elicitation of prior beliefs about their child’s importance that they engage in actions against climate change

Sequence of events in the initial child questionnaire:
1. Elicitation of personal anxiety towards climate change
2. Elicitation of perceptions about generation bearing the consequences of the climate change
3. Elicitations of donations towards climate-friendly cause
4. Elicitations of importance that parents engage in actions against climate change

Sequence of events in the follow-up parent questionnaire:
1. Elicitation of perceptions about generation bearing the consequences of the climate change (secondary outcome)
2. Information provision about child’s importance that parents engage in actions against climate change / No information provision (information treatment)
3. Elicitation of donations towards climate-friendly cause (primary outcome)
4. Elicitation of reasons for why they decided to donate certain amount to climate-friendly cause (secondary outcome)
5. Elicitation of preferences for policies aiming at climate protection (primary outcome)
6. Elicitation of private actions for climate protection (primary outcome)

Randomization is carried out by the survey company, using a computer.

at the individual level

No

from the initial 2,000 sampled parents roughly 1,600 are expected to participate in the follow-up survey

from the initial 2,000 sampled parents roughly 1,600 are expected to participate in the follow-up survey

2,000 parents and children in the initial questionnaire, 1,600 parents are expected to participate in the follow-up survey which are randomly selected between the control group (800) and the treatment group (800)

none