34 chapter 2 2.3. STUDY 2 In Study 2 we aimed to further test the validity of the transilience scale in a different context, and to improve the persistence component of the scale. We rephrased persistence items to reflect an attribute (i.e., a quality or a characteristic), rather than feelings or actions (see Table 2.6): ‘I can persist’ was changed into ‘I can be persistent’, ‘I can handle unpleasant feelings caused by climate change risks’ into ‘I can stay determined in the face of climate change risks’ (drawing on Maltby et al., 2015), and ‘I will not give up when faced with climate change risks’, into ‘No matter what climate change brings about, I can remain strong-willed’ (drawing on Maltby et al., 2017). Table 2.6. Adapted Persistence Items included in Studies 2, 3, 4 1. I can be brave in the face of climate change risks. 2. I can be persistent when faced with climate change risks. 3. I can stay determined in the face of climate change risks. 4. No matter what climate change brings about, I can remain strong willed. 5. I feel paralyzed in the face of climate change risks. (R) Study 2 was conducted in The Netherlands and focused on a specific local climate change risk: flooding. Flooding is a major threat associated with climate change in The Netherlands (Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Milieu, 2016). Greening one’s backyard can reduce the negative impacts of flooding, as backyards with more vegetation can absorb overflowing water (Lennon et al., 2014). To test concurrent and discriminant validity of the transilience scale, we examined whether transilience is either positively associated or not significantly associated with the perceived risks of flooding, and positively related to but not overlapping with self-efficacy and outcome efficacy for greening one’s backyard. We tested predictive validity by examining how transilience relates to behaviours that reduce the risks caused by flooding, and to greening one’s backyard, and we examined incremental validity by controlling for either self-or outcome efficacy in these relations. The study was set up in the context of a bachelor research practicum at the University of Groningen, where students investigated whether components of Protection Motivation Theory, namely Threat Appraisal and Coping Appraisal (Rogers, 1997), influence the intention to green the backyards. We included transilience as an additional measure to further test the validity of the transilience scale in a different context. Threat appraisal for flooding (high/low) and coping appraisal for greening the backyard (high/low) were manipulated at the start of the study. We controlled for the effects of these experimental conditions (which
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