A 27-country test of communicating the scientific consensus on climate change

Bojana Većkalov; Sandra J. Geiger; František Bartoš; Mathew P. White; Bastiaan T. Rutjens; Frenk van Harreveld; Federica Stablum; Berkan Akın; Alaa Aldoh; Jinhao Bai; Frida Berglund; Aleša Bratina Zimic; Margaret Broyles; Andrea Catania; Airu Chen; Magdalena Chorzępa; Eman Farahat; Jakob Götz; Bat Hoter-Ishay; Gesine Jordan; Siri Joustra; Jonas Klingebiel; Živa Krajnc; Antonia Krug; Thomas Lind Andersen; Johanna Löloff; Divya Natarajan; Sasha Newman-Oktan; Elena Niehoff; Celeste Paerels; Rachel Papirmeister; Steven Peregrina; Felicia Pohl; Amanda Remsö; Abigail Roh; Binahayati Rusyidi; Justus Schmidt; Mariam Shavgulidze; Valentina Vellinho Nardin; Ruixiang Wang; Kelly Warner; Miranda Wattier; Chloe Y. Wong; Mariem Younssi; Kai Ruggeri; Sander van der Linden

doi:10.1038/s41562-024-01928-2

A 27-country test of communicating the scientific consensus on climate change

Bojana Većkalov, Sandra J. Geiger, František Bartoš, Mathew P. White, Bastiaan T. Rutjens, Frenk van Harreveld, Federica Stablum, Berkan Akın, Alaa Aldoh, Jinhao Bai, Frida Berglund, Aleša Bratina Zimic, Margaret Broyles, Andrea Catania, Airu Chen, Magdalena Chorzępa, Eman Farahat, Jakob Götz, Bat Hoter-Ishay, Gesine JordanSiri Joustra, Jonas Klingebiel, Živa Krajnc, Antonia Krug, Thomas Lind Andersen, Johanna Löloff, Divya Natarajan, Sasha Newman-Oktan, Elena Niehoff, Celeste Paerels, Rachel Papirmeister, Steven Peregrina, Felicia Pohl, Amanda Remsö, Abigail Roh, Binahayati Rusyidi, Justus Schmidt, Mariam Shavgulidze, Valentina Vellinho Nardin, Ruixiang Wang, Kelly Warner, Miranda Wattier, Chloe Y. Wong, Mariem Younssi, Kai Ruggeri, Sander van der Linden

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

4 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Communicating the scientific consensus that human-caused climate change is real increases climate change beliefs, worry and support for public action in the United States. In this preregistered experiment, we tested two scientific consensus messages, a classic message on the reality of human-caused climate change and an updated message additionally emphasizing scientific agreement that climate change is a crisis. Across online convenience samples from 27 countries (n = 10,527), the classic message substantially reduces misperceptions (d = 0.47, 95% CI (0.41, 0.52)) and slightly increases climate change beliefs (from d = 0.06, 95% CI (0.01, 0.11) to d = 0.10, 95% CI (0.04, 0.15)) and worry (d = 0.05, 95% CI (−0.01, 0.10)) but not support for public action directly. The updated message is equally effective but provides no added value. Both messages are more effective for audiences with lower message familiarity and higher misperceptions, including those with lower trust in climate scientists and right-leaning ideologies. Overall, scientific consensus messaging is an effective, non-polarizing tool for changing misperceptions, beliefs and worry across different audiences.

Original language	English
Journal	Nature Human Behaviour
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01928-2
Publication status	Published - 2024-Aug-26

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1038/s41562-024-01928-2Licence: CC BY

s41562-024-01928-2Final published version, 1.24 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

Većkalov, B., Geiger, S. J., Bartoš, F., White, M. P., Rutjens, B. T., van Harreveld, F., Stablum, F., Akın, B., Aldoh, A., Bai, J., Berglund, F., Bratina Zimic, A., Broyles, M., Catania, A., Chen, A., Chorzępa, M., Farahat, E., Götz, J., Hoter-Ishay, B., ... van der Linden, S. (2024). A 27-country test of communicating the scientific consensus on climate change. Nature Human Behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01928-2

@article{7f5f7257be1d4465855a54d7ea783243,

title = "A 27-country test of communicating the scientific consensus on climate change",

abstract = "Communicating the scientific consensus that human-caused climate change is real increases climate change beliefs, worry and support for public action in the United States. In this preregistered experiment, we tested two scientific consensus messages, a classic message on the reality of human-caused climate change and an updated message additionally emphasizing scientific agreement that climate change is a crisis. Across online convenience samples from 27 countries (n = 10,527), the classic message substantially reduces misperceptions (d = 0.47, 95% CI (0.41, 0.52)) and slightly increases climate change beliefs (from d = 0.06, 95% CI (0.01, 0.11) to d = 0.10, 95% CI (0.04, 0.15)) and worry (d = 0.05, 95% CI (−0.01, 0.10)) but not support for public action directly. The updated message is equally effective but provides no added value. Both messages are more effective for audiences with lower message familiarity and higher misperceptions, including those with lower trust in climate scientists and right-leaning ideologies. Overall, scientific consensus messaging is an effective, non-polarizing tool for changing misperceptions, beliefs and worry across different audiences.",

author = "Bojana Ve{\'c}kalov and Geiger, {Sandra J.} and Franti{\v s}ek Barto{\v s} and White, {Mathew P.} and Rutjens, {Bastiaan T.} and {van Harreveld}, Frenk and Federica Stablum and Berkan Akın and Alaa Aldoh and Jinhao Bai and Frida Berglund and {Bratina Zimic}, Ale{\v s}a and Margaret Broyles and Andrea Catania and Airu Chen and Magdalena Chorz{\c e}pa and Eman Farahat and Jakob G{\"o}tz and Bat Hoter-Ishay and Gesine Jordan and Siri Joustra and Jonas Klingebiel and {\v Z}iva Krajnc and Antonia Krug and Andersen, {Thomas Lind} and Johanna L{\"o}loff and Divya Natarajan and Sasha Newman-Oktan and Elena Niehoff and Celeste Paerels and Rachel Papirmeister and Steven Peregrina and Felicia Pohl and Amanda Rems{\"o} and Abigail Roh and Binahayati Rusyidi and Justus Schmidt and Mariam Shavgulidze and {Vellinho Nardin}, Valentina and Ruixiang Wang and Kelly Warner and Miranda Wattier and Wong, {Chloe Y.} and Mariem Younssi and Kai Ruggeri and {van der Linden}, Sander",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2024.",

year = "2024",

month = aug,

day = "26",

doi = "10.1038/s41562-024-01928-2",

language = "English",

journal = "Nature Human Behaviour",

issn = "2397-3374",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

}

Većkalov, B, Geiger, SJ, Bartoš, F, White, MP, Rutjens, BT, van Harreveld, F, Stablum, F, Akın, B, Aldoh, A, Bai, J, Berglund, F, Bratina Zimic, A, Broyles, M, Catania, A, Chen, A, Chorzępa, M, Farahat, E, Götz, J, Hoter-Ishay, B, Jordan, G, Joustra, S, Klingebiel, J, Krajnc, Ž, Krug, A, Andersen, TL, Löloff, J, Natarajan, D, Newman-Oktan, S, Niehoff, E, Paerels, C, Papirmeister, R, Peregrina, S, Pohl, F, Remsö, A, Roh, A, Rusyidi, B, Schmidt, J, Shavgulidze, M, Vellinho Nardin, V, Wang, R, Warner, K, Wattier, M, Wong, CY, Younssi, M, Ruggeri, K & van der Linden, S 2024, 'A 27-country test of communicating the scientific consensus on climate change', Nature Human Behaviour. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-01928-2

TY - JOUR

T1 - A 27-country test of communicating the scientific consensus on climate change

AU - Većkalov, Bojana

AU - Geiger, Sandra J.

AU - Bartoš, František

AU - White, Mathew P.

AU - Rutjens, Bastiaan T.

AU - van Harreveld, Frenk

AU - Stablum, Federica

AU - Akın, Berkan

AU - Aldoh, Alaa

AU - Bai, Jinhao

AU - Berglund, Frida

AU - Bratina Zimic, Aleša

AU - Broyles, Margaret

AU - Catania, Andrea

AU - Chen, Airu

AU - Chorzępa, Magdalena

AU - Farahat, Eman

AU - Götz, Jakob

AU - Hoter-Ishay, Bat

AU - Jordan, Gesine

AU - Joustra, Siri

AU - Klingebiel, Jonas

AU - Krajnc, Živa

AU - Krug, Antonia

AU - Andersen, Thomas Lind

AU - Löloff, Johanna

AU - Natarajan, Divya

AU - Newman-Oktan, Sasha

AU - Niehoff, Elena

AU - Paerels, Celeste

AU - Papirmeister, Rachel

AU - Peregrina, Steven

AU - Pohl, Felicia

AU - Remsö, Amanda

AU - Roh, Abigail

AU - Rusyidi, Binahayati

AU - Schmidt, Justus

AU - Shavgulidze, Mariam

AU - Vellinho Nardin, Valentina

AU - Wang, Ruixiang

AU - Warner, Kelly

AU - Wattier, Miranda

AU - Wong, Chloe Y.

AU - Younssi, Mariem

AU - Ruggeri, Kai

AU - van der Linden, Sander

PY - 2024/8/26

Y1 - 2024/8/26

N2 - Communicating the scientific consensus that human-caused climate change is real increases climate change beliefs, worry and support for public action in the United States. In this preregistered experiment, we tested two scientific consensus messages, a classic message on the reality of human-caused climate change and an updated message additionally emphasizing scientific agreement that climate change is a crisis. Across online convenience samples from 27 countries (n = 10,527), the classic message substantially reduces misperceptions (d = 0.47, 95% CI (0.41, 0.52)) and slightly increases climate change beliefs (from d = 0.06, 95% CI (0.01, 0.11) to d = 0.10, 95% CI (0.04, 0.15)) and worry (d = 0.05, 95% CI (−0.01, 0.10)) but not support for public action directly. The updated message is equally effective but provides no added value. Both messages are more effective for audiences with lower message familiarity and higher misperceptions, including those with lower trust in climate scientists and right-leaning ideologies. Overall, scientific consensus messaging is an effective, non-polarizing tool for changing misperceptions, beliefs and worry across different audiences.

AB - Communicating the scientific consensus that human-caused climate change is real increases climate change beliefs, worry and support for public action in the United States. In this preregistered experiment, we tested two scientific consensus messages, a classic message on the reality of human-caused climate change and an updated message additionally emphasizing scientific agreement that climate change is a crisis. Across online convenience samples from 27 countries (n = 10,527), the classic message substantially reduces misperceptions (d = 0.47, 95% CI (0.41, 0.52)) and slightly increases climate change beliefs (from d = 0.06, 95% CI (0.01, 0.11) to d = 0.10, 95% CI (0.04, 0.15)) and worry (d = 0.05, 95% CI (−0.01, 0.10)) but not support for public action directly. The updated message is equally effective but provides no added value. Both messages are more effective for audiences with lower message familiarity and higher misperceptions, including those with lower trust in climate scientists and right-leaning ideologies. Overall, scientific consensus messaging is an effective, non-polarizing tool for changing misperceptions, beliefs and worry across different audiences.

U2 - 10.1038/s41562-024-01928-2

DO - 10.1038/s41562-024-01928-2

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85202047386

SN - 2397-3374

JO - Nature Human Behaviour

JF - Nature Human Behaviour

ER -

A 27-country test of communicating the scientific consensus on climate change

Abstract

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this