Close to one-third of residents in the US and Canada anticipate the world ending within their lifetime. New research suggests this belief can shape how they view societal challenges, though the impact largely hinges on the specific apocalyptic scenario an individual envisions. The findings are detailed in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
Throughout history, many individuals have held the conviction that they were living in the final days. Reading this, you might observe that these predictions haven’t materialized, leading you to feel that apocalyptic events are distant or not worth worrying about. However, for a substantial number of people residing in North America, this is not perceived as a distant possibility: one-third of those surveyed indicated the world will conclude before they do.
While some might be tempted to dismiss these viewpoints as merely the fixation of eccentrics, the sheer volume of individuals sharing these beliefs certainly warrants investigation.
“Belief in the end of the world is surprisingly prevalent across North America, and it significantly influences how people interpret and react to the most pressing threats confronting humanity,” explains lead author Matthew I. Billett.
The latest study focused on how these beliefs might direct individuals’ responses to tangible global threats, ranging from the climate crisis to the prospect of nuclear conflict.
Researchers from the University of British Columbia surveyed 3,400 individuals, posing a sequence of questions designed to gauge their attitudes toward risk. Specifically, they examined risk perception—how seriously they regard a threat like the climate crisis—risk tolerance, which is their willingness to put up with risk despite potential negative outcomes, and their support for “extreme measures” aimed at averting the risk.
“Extreme measures included allocating 10% of US GDP to cover risks, imposing martial law, and completely overthrowing the established government and social order,” the paper outlines.
In addition, participants were asked a series of demographic questions, factoring in elements such as political leaning and religiosity. The team uncovered several notable distinctions.
Although 28.9% of all respondents agreed the world would end in their lifetime, this conviction generally lessened with age, with younger cohorts being more likely to hold this outlook. Further data analysis revealed exceptions: the belief in the end of the world did not diminish with age among Evangelical Protestants and even seemed to slightly increase among Muslim participants.
“Other demographic variables proved to be less consistent predictors of end-of-the-world beliefs,” the article adds. “Socioeconomic status and political orientation each accounted for less than 6% of the variance, while ethnicity and gender explained less than 2% each.”
The researchers determined that people’s desired response to a threat relied on whether they perceived it as human-caused. Those who attributed the threat to human activity were more likely to back extreme measures, whereas individuals who believed the apocalypse would be triggered by divine forces were less inclined to support such actions.
“There is one consensus: we humans play a vital part in the fate of our species,” Billett elaborated. “This holds true for both believers and non-believers. However, there were quite significant variations across religious affiliations. These differences highlight how religion—and culture more generally—can mold our fundamental understanding of the world and our collective future.”
Overall, the research team identified five core factors that drive people’s thinking and subsequent actions. These included: how imminent the perceived threat felt, whether they believed humans were responsible for it, whether they attributed responsibility to divine or supernatural forces, the extent to which they felt they personally could influence the outcome, and whether the final result would be positive or negative.
Given how conspiracy theories surrounding vaccines are impacting vaccination efforts and how fear of the climate crisis is discouraging young people from taking action, Billett states that understanding these worldviews is crucial for policymakers.
“Regardless of how accurate any apocalyptic scenario might be, it still has significant bearing on how the public confronts specific risks,” Billett added. “To gain consensus on addressing issues like climate change, AI safety, or pandemic preparedness, we need to grasp how different communities interpret these threats through the lens of their unique culture. In a world facing genuine catastrophic risks, this understanding has never been more critical.”
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