Doctoral Dissertation Research in DRMS: Mass Media Effects on Elite Legislators: A Social Psychology Case Study of Climate Change in Peru

Suny College Of Environmental Science And Forestry, Syracuse NY

Investigators

Abstract

This research seeks to provide a better understanding of the role of the information presented in the media in the policy behaviors of elite legislators. This research, conducted in Peru, focuses on the case of climate change, a current policy issue that is receiving considerable attention from policy makers, the public, and the media. Studies show that the media is one of the main sources of information about climate change within the public and policy makers; therefore - considering the complexity of the issue - the information presented requires special attention. The main research question driving the research is: In what ways and to what effect, do the mass media influence the knowledge, environmental attitudes, beliefs, values, and behaviors of legislators in Peru with regard to climate change? The few previous studies in this area have provided inconclusive and often contradictory evidence about the role of the media in policy decision making due to the methodological constraints of studying this target population. This project uses a survey and in-depth interviews with legislators, a media content analysis of newspapers, and an analysis of secondary sources such as voting behaviors and policy documents. The theoretical framework, from social psychology, focuses on the relationship between information seeking behaviors and levels of environmentalism. The research will contribute to the growing literature focusing on direct mass media effects on policy making, and will provide recommendations to improve environmental news coverage and communication processes related to policy decision making.