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Polarization within consensus? An audience segmentation model of politically dependent climate attitudes in Denmark

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  • Andrea Veggerby Lind, University of Copenhagen
  • ,
  • Bjørn Gunnar Hallsson
  • Thomas A. Morton, University of Copenhagen

Effectively communicating climate science requires context-dependent understanding of the target audience and the underlying drivers of their attitudes. The current study explored the landscape of public opinions on climate change in Denmark using segmentation analysis, and investigated its political orientation predictors. Using latent class analysis, we identified the AAACID model; 6 distinct groups that represent the salient differences in Danish climate attitudes, namely the Alarmed, Alert, Ambivalent, Cautious, Indifferent and Doubtful. Climate concern and prioritizing climate mitigation agendas when voting were both negatively associated with Right-orientation, hierarchy, and individualism. A cross-cultural comparison, using the Global Warming's Six Americas framework, further revealed substantial differences between Danish and American public attitudes on climate change. We suggest communication strategies suitable for each segment, and conclude that despite the consensus culture and general acceptance of climate science, political orientation still plays an important role in the remaining disagreement on climate issues in Denmark.

Original languageEnglish
Article number102054
JournalJournal of Environmental Psychology
Volume89
Number of pages10
ISSN0272-4944
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2023

    Research areas

  • Audience segmentation, Climate change, Cultural worldviews, Denmark, Political orientation, Public opinion, Science communication

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