A recent study in psychology reveals that presenting the need to combat climate change as a form of patriotism, essential to maintaining the American ‘way of life,’ can enhance belief in climate change and encourage support for environmentally friendly policies among both conservatives and liberals.
Although conservatives and liberals often disagree on environmental matters, a recent psychology study indicates that framing climate action as an act of patriotism, vital to preserving the American “way of life,” can amplify belief in climate change and support for environmental policies across both political groups.
“Presenting climate change initiatives as ways to safeguard and cherish patriotic values and familiar lifestyles can heighten awareness of climate issues and drive action across the political spectrum in the U.S.,” states Katherine Mason, a doctoral candidate at New York University and the lead author of the study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). “This strategy helps individuals view climate action as a means to honor and maintain valued cultural traditions, instead of suggesting they must abandon or alter them.”
The study, which involved 50,000 participants from 60 different countries, revealed that this approach had similar, though less pronounced, effects among liberals in countries like France and Chile, and among conservatives in Israel and Chile. However, it did not have the same success among conservatives in other countries, including Belgium, Germany, and Russia.
In general, these findings contrast with many current pro-environment communications that often focus on apocalyptic predictions, fundamentally changing our economic systems, or drastically modifying consumption habits.
“It’s important to steer clear of invoking existential threats, as these can lead to defensiveness and pushback against environmental initiatives,” note the authors, which also include John Jost, a professor in NYU’s Department of Psychology, and Madalina Vlasceanu, who was an assistant professor at NYU during the study and is now at Stanford University.
In the PNAS study, participants were informed they would read some information, share their beliefs and behaviors, and write a short paragraph. To ensure clarity regarding climate change, they were provided with the following definition: “Climate change refers to the increase in the world’s average temperature over the past 150 years, with expectations of further increases in the future.”
Participants in the control group read an excerpt from Charles Dickens’ 1861 novel Great Expectations, which had no mention of climate issues. In the “framing” group, participants read a message designed to foster a sense of connection to the current social framework, linking the nation’s “way of life” with cultural and natural traditions, and emphasizing that climate change threatens this heritage and requires patriotic, environmental action to “safeguard” it. This message was supplemented with images of cities, natural resources, people, and flags, relevant to their respective countries.
Afterwards, participants in both groups answered questions regarding their beliefs about climate change, their support for environmentally friendly policies, and their willingness to share climate-related information on social media.
Among U.S. participants, those exposed to the patriotic framing reported a stronger belief in climate change, greater backing for pro-environment policies, and an increased willingness to share information on social media compared to the control group. Notably, this message proved effective for both conservatives and liberals.
“Tackling climate change is an immediate necessity,” says Mason. “Our research explored communication strategies that resonate with people’s existing values and beliefs. Importantly, these findings suggest that messages that support preserving the status quo can enhance awareness and action towards climate issues among not just conservatives—who generally align with these messages—but also among liberals.”
In the paper, the researchers provide a comprehensive analysis of findings from other countries, highlighting similarities and differences with the U.S. participants and exploring potential reasons behind them.
Katherine Mason received support from the National Science Foundation Predoctoral Award during the research (DGE-2234660).
