The Relative Strength of Populist Attitudes, Religiosity, and Locus of Control in Predicting Climate-Change Denial

As climate change becomes an increasingly urgent global issue, the persistence of climate denial presents a significant barrier to progress. Despite overwhelming scientific evidence from NOAA and NASA, many individuals continue to deny the reality or severity of climate change. Previous studies have examined factors like anti-elitism and anti-egalitarianism in climate skepticism; however, no known research has assessed the relative strength of populist attitudes, religiosity, and locus of control in predicting climate denial. This quantitative, cross-sectional survey was conducted to fill that gap. Locus of control theory, which focuses on how individuals perceive events as within or beyond their control, informed this study. Online surveys were administered via SurveyMonkey to 123 English-speaking adults over 18 in the United States. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed that intrinsic religiosity and internal locus of control significantly predicted lower levels of denial, while belief in chance, an external control orientation, predicted higher levels. Populist attitudes were not significant predictors of climate denial. These findings suggested that psychological and religious factors play a critical role in shaping climate beliefs. The results offered insights into educational and communication strategies with the potential to promote pro-environmental behaviors through personal agency and alignment with religious values, fostering greater public acceptance of climate science and facilitate positive social change.