Resource Type: Social Science Research

This response to Dan Kahan’s critique of the author’s initial study provides data from a replication study using a larger sample to demonstrate that a consensus message can indeed directly cause changes, not only in estimated scientific consensus, but also in belief that climate change is happening and human-caused, worry about climate change, and support for action. 

Much research finds that “scientific consensus messaging,” or informing people that 97% of scientists believe climate change is happening and human-caused, can change people’s minds. A landmark study in 2015 by Sander van der Linden and colleagues reports that people who heard this message believed there was a stronger scientific consensus climate change, compared to a control group who heard no message, and that this was a “gateway” belief that then caused other beliefs to change (Gateway Belief Model). However, Kahan takes another look at the data from that study and argues that this claim should be tempered. Sander van der Linden and colleagues have responded to this critique.