A Socioecological Investigation of Extreme Weather Experiences’ Impact on Perceptions of Climate Change and Climate Technologies

Climate change is expected to directly impact increasing numbers of people over time. This project investigates how extreme weather experiences influence perceptions of climate change. Specifically, the researchers examine how extreme weather experiences affect perceptions of urgency and progress in addressing climate change, and how these perceptions shape attitudes toward a range of climate technologies (e.g., solar geoengineering, afforestation, carbon sequestration). We will pursue this through a text analysis of online discourse about climate solutions and extreme weather, as well as a natural experiment involving real-world extreme weather events. These studies will provide a causal test of attitude change following salient socioecological events and offer insight into how lived experiences of climate change influence public opinion on mitigation strategies.

“Public policy will play a critical role in how the global community adapts to climate change, yet public attitudes remain divided on how to address it—especially around emerging technologies like stratospheric solar geoengineering. This project applies methods from socioecological psychology and judgment and decision-making to examine how Americans’ increasingly personal experiences with extreme weather (e.g., heatwaves, hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires) shape their views on climate change and the perceived risks of various mitigation technologies. This helps extend our understanding of the psychological impact of climate change and supports the development of interventions to promote effective climate policies and resilient community responses to local disasters.”

Nicholas DiMaggio, PhD Student, Chicago Booth