Risa Palm|Gregory B. Lewis|Bo Feng
What Causes People to Change Their Opinion about Climate Change?
Georgia State University|Georgia State University|Georgia State University
decade steady growth acceptance existence climate change anthropogenic causes opinions polarized almost one third americans mostly republicans denying climate changing human activity responsible causes americans change minds issue using large panel data set examined impacts direct experience weather anomalies ideology relative prioritization environmental conservation comparison economic development motivated reasoning adjusts individual opinion align others share ones party identification generalized ordered logit model confirmed importance political ideology party identification relative concern environmental conservation economic development attitude change effect party identification strengthened attentiveness news public affairs consistent logic motivated reasoning recent experience hot summers warm winters droughts natural disasters minimal impact attitude change