Three studies investigated habitual worry about global warming as an example of 'eco-anxiety'. The key question was whether such worrying is constructive (a motivated pro-environmental response) or unconstructive (a symptom of pathological worry). Pathological worry and worry about global warming were assessed together with two other worry sources, that is, personal issues and the world economy (Study 1) and personal issues and the corona virus (Study 2). In both studies a statistically significant correlation was found between pathological worry and global warming worry. However, this relationship was nonsignificant when controlled for the other two worry sources. Comparisons between Studies 1 and 2 conducted one month before and during the COVID-19 crisis, respectively, as well as between order conditions within Study 2 suggested that global warming worry was unaffected by the COVID-19 context. Study 3 demonstrated that global warming worry was associated with the perception of a proximal as well as a distal threat, and correlated positively with determinants of pro-environmental behaviour, that is, a pro-ecological worldview, pro-environmental values, past pro-environmental behaviour and a 'green' identity. Global warming worry also correlated positively with emotion clusters signifying determination, anxiety, and anger, respectively. The three studies together suggest that while habitual global warming worry may be unconstructive and part of intrapersonal dysfunction for some individuals, for many others it is a constructive adaptive pro-environmental response.

三项研究以“生态焦虑”为例，对全球变暖的习惯性担忧进行了调查。关键问题是这种担忧是建设性的（一种积极的对环境的反应）还是没有建设性的（一种病理性担忧的症状）。评估了病理性担忧和对全球变暖的担忧，以及其他两个担忧根源，即个人问题和世界经济（研究1）以及个人问题和日冕病毒（研究2）。在两项研究中，病理忧虑与全球变暖忧虑之间均具有统计学意义的相关性。但是，在控制其他两个忧虑源时，这种关系并不重要。在COVID-19危机发生前一个月和期间分别进行的研究1和研究2的比较，以及研究2中的阶次条件之间的关系表明，全球变暖担忧不受COVID-19环境的影响。研究3表明，全球变暖的担忧与对近端和远端威胁的感知相关，并且与亲环境行为的决定因素呈正相关，也就是说，亲环境行为，亲环境价值观，过去亲环境行为和“绿色”身份。全球变暖的担忧也分别与表示决心，焦虑和愤怒的情绪簇呈正相关。这三项研究共同表明，尽管对某些人而言，全球性的习惯性变暖担忧可能是无建设性的，并且是人际功能障碍的一部分，但对其他许多人而言，这却是一种建设性的适应性环境前反应。