Research questions and hypotheses
Specially, we aim to answer if mental imagery impacts the perceived risk of climate change; and, in addition if mental imagery is a step in the causal relationship between affective experiences and climate change related risk perception. We expected that the magnitude of the change in the dependent variables (perceived risk, affective valence and arousal) from pre-manipulation to post-manipulation too be dependent on condition. Specifically, we expected that:Enhancing mental imagery would lead to a within-subject increase in perceived risk concerning climate change, from pre-manipulation to post-manipulation, that were of larger magnitude compared to both the spontaneous and prevented use of mental imagery (i.e., significant interaction effects).Preventing mental imagery would lead to a within-subject decrease in the magnitude of change in perceived risk concerning climate change, from pre-manipulation to post-manipulation, compared to both the spontaneous and enhanced use of mental imagery (i.e., significant interaction effects).Enhancing mental imagery would lead to a within-subject decrease in the level of positive affective valence and a within-subject increase in the level of arousal, from pre-manipulation to post-manipulation, that were of larger magnitudes compared to both the spontaneous and prevented use of mental imagery (i.e., significant interaction effects).Preventing mental imagery would lead to different magnitudes of change in the within-subject level of positive affective valence and arousal from pre-manipulation to post-manipulation, compared to both the spontaneous and enhanced use of mental imagery (i.e., significant interaction effects [All hypotheses were somewhat altered from the pre-registration to clarify that we expected to find interaction effects]).