Political affiliation impacts climate attention and choice beyond extreme weather exposure

IF 26.9 1区地球科学 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Nature Climate Change Pub Date : 2026-10-16 DOI:10.1038/s41558-026-02765-z

Annika M. Wyss,Emmanuel T. Guizar Rosales,Michael Schulte-Mecklenbeck,Julie Buchs,Ulf J. J. Hahnel,Daria Knoch

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Abstract

Abstract Political polarization and increasing exposure to extreme weather can shape public engagement with climate change, yet the underlying psychological mechanisms remain unclear. In this Registered Report, we examine how political affiliation, extreme weather exposure and subjective attribution influence climate-relevant information search and decision-making in a US sample ( N = 1,451). We combined a process-tracing paradigm within an incentivized decision task involving real carbon emissions with objective data on extreme weather exposure. Democrats attended more to carbon emission information and made more pro-climate choices than Republicans, with no evidence of moderation by objective extreme weather exposure. The subjective attribution of extreme weather to climate change was associated with greater attention to carbon information, more pro-climate choices and moderated the effects of exposure on both outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of political affiliation in climate-relevant decision-making and suggest that extreme weather effects depend less on exposure itself than on how these experiences are interpreted.

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政治派别影响气候关注和选择超越极端天气暴露

政治两极分化和极端天气暴露的增加可以影响公众对气候变化的参与，但潜在的心理机制尚不清楚。在本注册报告中，我们研究了美国样本（N = 1,451）中的政治从属关系，极端天气暴露和主观归因如何影响气候相关信息搜索和决策。我们在一个涉及真实碳排放和极端天气暴露的客观数据的激励决策任务中结合了过程追踪范式。民主党人比共和党人更关注碳排放信息，做出了更多有利于气候的选择，没有证据表明客观的极端天气暴露会减缓气候变化。极端天气对气候变化的主观归因与对碳信息的更多关注、更有利于气候的选择有关，并缓和了暴露对这两种结果的影响。这些发现强调了政治派别在气候相关决策中的重要性，并表明极端天气的影响与其说取决于暴露本身，不如说是取决于如何解释这些经历。

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来源期刊

Nature Climate Change ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES-METEOROLOGY & ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES

CiteScore

40.30

自引率

1.60%

发文量

267

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： Nature Climate Change is dedicated to addressing the scientific challenge of understanding Earth's changing climate and its societal implications. As a monthly journal, it publishes significant and cutting-edge research on the nature, causes, and impacts of global climate change, as well as its implications for the economy, policy, and the world at large. The journal publishes original research spanning the natural and social sciences, synthesizing interdisciplinary research to provide a comprehensive understanding of climate change. It upholds the high standards set by all Nature-branded journals, ensuring top-tier original research through a fair and rigorous review process, broad readership access, high standards of copy editing and production, rapid publication, and independence from academic societies and other vested interests. Nature Climate Change serves as a platform for discussion among experts, publishing opinion, analysis, and review articles. It also features Research Highlights to highlight important developments in the field and original reporting from renowned science journalists in the form of feature articles. Topics covered in the journal include adaptation, atmospheric science, ecology, economics, energy, impacts and vulnerability, mitigation, oceanography, policy, sociology, and sustainability, among others.