Too positive to change? Examining optimism bias as a barrier to media effects on environmental activism

This paper adopts a novel optimism bias approach to improve the understanding of media effects on environmental activism. The main research question here concerns if and how optimism bias moderates media type associations with environmental activism. The data came from personal surveys conducted with a sample of 592 adults living in southeastern Spain. The results of hierarchical regression showed the differential perceived type of media influence on self for self-reported environmental activism; the Internet and print media were most associated with personal action, followed by televised documentaries and interviews. Optimism bias negatively moderated the relationships of TV documentaries/interviews and radio, but not those of the Internet and print media, with self-reported environmental activism. Overall, the findings are indicative that print media, TV documentaries/interviews, and the Internet are helpful for environmental campaigning. Implications for theory, policy, and practice are discussed.