Tools- of Changes

Megastudy on the Persuasiveness of the Most-Cited Climate Messages

This megastudy identified a half dozen or more “simple, clear messages” that can and arguably should become the basis of climate communication campaigns.

The research was conducted by 25 researchers from five countries and 20 different institutions and involved more than 13,000 US participants. It tested the ten most highly-cited message strategies in the peer-reviewed climate communication literature. It found that six or more of the ten message strategies significantly—albeit slightly—strengthened people’s belief in climate change, their concern about climate change, their support for government action to limit climate change, and their intention to take political action. The persuasiveness of the messages varied little between Democrats and Republicans.The research was conducted by 25 researchers from five countries and 20 different institutions and involved more than 13,000 US participants. It tested the ten most highly-cited message strategies in the peer-reviewed climate communication literature. It found that six or more of the ten message strategies significantly—albeit slightly—strengthened people’s belief in climate change, their concern about climate change, their support for government action to limit climate change, and their intention to take political action. The persuasiveness of the messages varied little between Democrats and Republicans.