Climate anxiety impairs sustained attention: objective evidence of a cognitive cost.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

As climate anxiety rises globally, it may influence how individuals cognitively engage with the climate crisis. Although cognitive functioning is a key component of climate anxiety, its association with objectively measurable cognitive performance impairment remains unclear. This study examines whether individual differences in climate anxiety correspond with performance on a task measuring sustained attention.

Methods

A total of 182 undergraduate students completed self-report measures of climate anxiety, personal climate change experience, and general anxiety and depression. In addition, they completed the Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART), which measures attentional performance through accuracy and response time variability.

Results

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SUBMITTER: Denkova E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12557577 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature