Conceptions of Climate Change Skepticism: A Phenomenographic Investigation on Perspectives From Climate Scientists and Climate Activists

This study addresses how climate change denial is understood by climate scientists and climate activists. This research also investigates what communication strategies addressing climate change denial are used by climate scientists and climate activists. Phenomenography was selected as a methodology to address the qualitative and quantitative aspects of this inquiry. Pre-recorded data from interviews with six climate scientists and six climate activists living in the Intermountain West were used as the data source. Interview transcripts were read, marked, and coded to identify how climate scientists and climate activists understood climate change denial. Five conceptions of climate change skepticism were identified in the data. Transcripts were then read, marked, and coded to identify strategies suggested by climate scientists and climate activists to address climate denial in others. Five communication strategies were identified in the interview data. Findings suggest that there is a statistically significant difference in the climate change skepticism conceptions held by climate scientists and those held by climate activists. Findings also suggest the role of the individual matters when describing and addressing climate denial in others. An important implication of this research is the usefulness of employing phenomenography as a methodology for environmental educational research. Another implication is that there are interactions among role, conception, and strategy. All three are linked, and this linkage needs to be considered to make professional learning with climate change communicators more effective.