Improving Climate Change Acceptance Among U.S. Conservatives Through Value-Based Message Targeting
Abstract
Although prior research has identified communication strategies for reducing climate change skepticism, recent research suggests such approaches can backfire. To explore this issue, we report on a preliminary study investigating two prominent messaging styles: consensus and targeted messages. While consensus messaging did not produce significant effects, targeted messages emphasizing free market solutions to climate change were effective at improving conservatives’ climate change acceptance. Furthermore, the inclusion of consensus information did not improve or diminish the effects of the targeted messages. These findings underscore the utility of targeted messaging in improving climate change acceptance among political conservatives.
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Biographies
Graham Dixon (PhD, Cornell University) is an assistant professor in the School of Communication at The Ohio State University. His research interests include science and risk communication.
Jay Hmielowski (PhD, The Ohio State University) is an assistant professor in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. His research interests include political and environmental communication.
Yanni Ma is a PhD student in the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. Her interests include science, environmental, and risk communication.
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Article first published online: June 21, 2017
Issue published: August 2017
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Published online: June 21, 2017
Issue published: August 2017
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