Comfort, Geiger, Sarge article examines climate change advocacy strategies
Arguments for climate change policy are most effective in gaining support when the audience believes the advocate cares about people like them and shares their salient values for environmental protection, according to an article by assistant professors Ryan Comfort, Nathaniel Geiger and Melanie Sarge.
“An examination of expertise, caring and salient value similarity as source factors that garner support for advocated climate policies” appears in Environmental Communication.
The researchers conducted an online experiment with nearly 400 participants to learn what communication strategies were effective in advocating climate change policies.
While the research found that a perception that the advocate cared about people like them was associated with effectiveness, the advocates were less effective when they highlighted their expertise in the topic to their audiences.