Abstract

This study examines how beliefs about the causes of climate change relate to emotions, perceptions of its effects, and willingness to engage in collective action among residents of the Valparaíso Region in Chile, a territory particularly vulnerable to this phenomenon. A survey was conducted with 809 individuals using stratified probabilistic sampling. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences among those who attribute climate change to human, mixed, or natural causes. The results show that individuals who believe in the anthropogenic origin of climate change report higher levels of negative emotions, anxiety, perceived impacts, and willingness to participate in both direct and institutional collective actions. Moreover, these individuals perceive greater negative effects of climate change on their surroundings and daily lives. In contrast, those who attribute the phenomenon to natural causes show a lower predisposition to act and a lower risk perception. The study concludes that causal attribution of climate change significantly influences people’s emotional and behavioral responses, highlighting the importance of strengthening climate education and communication based on scientific evidence as key tools for fostering civic engagement in the face of the environmental crisis. The findings contribute to sustainability by strengthening environmental education, participatory governance, and collective action in vulnerable contexts.