Obier, Laura Joanne (2025) How do we judge? The role of values and metacognitive insight in the polarisation of attitudes about nuclear power. Master thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Finding a solution for a sustainable and safe energy transition is a pressing issue in various societies, and therein the role of nuclear power is a hotly debated topic. Indeed, it is a polarised issue in the public, and also individuals tend to polarise in their viewpoints, radicalising their strongly opposing or approving attitude towards nuclear energy.Understanding this polarisation, its psychological roots and potential antagonists is the aim of this study. It was examined whether individuals’ values relate to attitude polarisation about the topic of nuclear energy; more specifically, if egoistic and hedonic values are related to the polarisation of approving attitudes, and biospheric and altruistic values to the polarisation of opposing attitudes towards nuclear energy. The second hypothesis tested whether the cognitive characteristic of metacognition has a reducing impact on polarising shifts, moderating the former relationship between values and polarisation. An online questionnairewas conducted with a convenience sample of 349 international participants, of whom 86 have polarised. The study could not confirm the proposed hypotheses, though people with egoistic values seem to polarise their approving attitude towards nuclear energy. Whether metacognition could serve as an opponent to polarisation could not be tested as the regressions for the first hypotheses were not significant. Exploratory analyses showed that some values are related to the attitude towards nuclear power, and that the home country explains a significant proportion of these attitudes. Further analyses avoiding the limiting factors of this study are recommended, and the lack of significant predictors is discussed.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
|---|---|
| Supervisor name: | Perlaviciute, G. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | Environmental Psychology (EP) [Master Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 14 Jul 2025 07:26 |
| Last Modified: | 14 Jul 2025 07:26 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5503 |
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