The relevance of behavioral patterns in dealing with human-induced climate change: Results from a survey with 1,510 researchers

This paper presents the findings of a global survey involving 1,510 researchers regarding climate change, focusing on behavioral patterns perceived as relevant to adaptation and mitigation efforts. Similar behavioral tendencies can be observed across both areas: inequity aversion, guilt aversion, and climate anxiety are seen as primary drivers (positive effects), while status quo bias, information avoidance, and mass numbing are regarded as considerable barriers (negative effects). Additionally, the paper finds that researchers’ diverse backgrounds partly explain differing perceptions, indicating the potential for intersectional collaboration in academia to address climate change.

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Publication Details

Journal
PLOS Climate
Published
2026-08-25
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pclm.0000967
Primary Topic
Climate Change Communication and Perception
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

The relevance of behavioral patterns in dealing with human-induced climate change: Results from a survey with 1,510 researchers

Sven Gruener, Oliver Mußhoff
PLOS Climate
Climate Change Communication and Perception
article

The relevance of behavioral patterns in dealing with human-induced climate change: Results from a survey with 1,510 researchers

Sven Gruener, Oliver Mußhoff
article en

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a global survey involving 1,510 researchers regarding climate change, focusing on behavioral patterns perceived as relevant to adaptation and mitigation efforts. Similar behavioral tendencies can be observed across both areas: inequity aversion, guilt aversion, and climate anxiety are seen as primary drivers (positive effects), while status quo bias, information avoidance, and mass numbing are regarded as considerable barriers (negative effects). Additionally, the paper finds that researchers’ diverse backgrounds partly explain differing perceptions, indicating the potential for intersectional collaboration in academia to address climate change.

PLOS ClimateVol. 5(8)
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE), Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (DE)
Climate action
Openalex Percentile: Top 4%
Climate Change Communication and Perception
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