Pluralistic ignorance in climate action: Generalization, mechanisms, and consequences

Previous research has shown that people around the world underestimate public support for climate action—a phenomenon known as pluralistic ignorance. This misperception has been identified as a key barrier to collective climate engagement, with its correction proposed as a promising strategy to boost climate action. However, little is known about whether pluralistic ignorance actually occurs in consequential behavior, what mechanisms give rise to these misperceptions, and which consequences misperceptions have on actual behavior. Across four preregistered studies (total N = 5,713), we find that pluralistic ignorance reverses when focusing on consequential behaviors: Participants overestimate the proportion of others who donate money or engage in political action for climate causes. We further show that rational cognitive processes involved in estimating proportions can account for both under- and overestimations. Finally, we find that correcting these misperceptions does not influence meaningful climate-action behavior. These findings suggest that pluralistic ignorance may be more intricate, and less consequential, than previously thought.

Hybrid Talk: https://arc.mpib-berlin.mpg.de/public-with-recording/

Meeting-ID: 665 0112 1825

Passcode: 411468