Simple Messages Help Set the Record Straight about Scientific Agreement on Human-Caused Climate Change: The Results of Two Experiments

The research evaluates how numeric assertions and an 'estimation and reveal' technique influence the American public's perception of scientific agreement on human-caused climate change, finding both methods effective across different political ideologies.

• Numeric statements regarding the level of scientific agreement on human-caused climate change led to higher estimates of that agreement compared to non-numeric assertions.
• The 'estimation and reveal' technique, where participants estimate the level of scientific agreement before being shown a corrective statement, results in higher estimates of the scientific consensus than when no prior estimation is requested.
• The tested communication messages were approximately equally effective regardless of whether the respondents were liberals or conservatives.

APA

Team, M. 4. (2015). Simple Messages Help Set the Record Straight about Scientific Agreement on Human-Caused Climate Change: The Results of Two Experiments. Center for Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/3276-2/

Chicago

Team, Mason 4C. Simple Messages Help Set the Record Straight about Scientific Agreement on Human-Caused Climate Change: The Results of Two Experiments. Center for Climate Change Communication, 2015. https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/3276-2/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Team |first1=Mason 4C |title=Simple Messages Help Set the Record Straight about Scientific Agreement on Human-Caused Climate Change: The Results of Two Experiments |publisher=Center for Climate Change Communication |date=26 March 2015 |url=https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/3276-2/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{team2015simple, author = {Team, Mason 4C}, title = {{Simple Messages Help Set the Record Straight about Scientific Agreement on Human-Caused Climate Change: The Results of Two Experiments}}, institution = {Center for Climate Change Communication}, year = {2015}, month = mar, url = {https://climatecommunication.gmu.edu/all/3276-2/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }