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How not to climate communicate: understanding directionally motivated reasoning and its impact for climate change education

Mary Gagen Orcid Logo

School Science Review, Volume: 394

Swansea University Author: Mary Gagen Orcid Logo

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Abstract

Views on climate change have become a shorthand indicator of what kind of person one is and, even from a young age, children and young people understand the importance of feeling a sense of belonging to their social group. The tendency all humans have to interpret information in line with protecting...

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Published in: School Science Review
ISSN: 2976-954X
Published: London Association of Science Education 2025
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69828
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last_indexed 2025-07-22T05:04:11Z
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spelling 2025-07-21T13:49:46.2619890 v2 69828 2025-06-26 How not to climate communicate: understanding directionally motivated reasoning and its impact for climate change education e677a6d0777aed90ac1eca8937e43d2b 0000-0002-6820-6457 Mary Gagen Mary Gagen true false 2025-06-26 BGPS Views on climate change have become a shorthand indicator of what kind of person one is and, even from a young age, children and young people understand the importance of feeling a sense of belonging to their social group. The tendency all humans have to interpret information in line with protecting individual belief systems is known as politically, or directionally, motivated reasoning. It has been demonstrated to strongly influence how adults process factual climate information and is suggested to do so in children too. In its essence, directionally motivated reasoning theorises that individuals reject new facts if they contradict their standing beliefs. It is based on neuroscientific, psychological and political science research and has been well tested and found to be particularly strong in the case of contentious topics – such as climate change. Directionally motivated reasoning is the strongest modulator of how well, or poorly, factual climate change information lands with an individual, but most of us delivering climate change education have never heard of it. At a time of dire need, in terms of global climate action, and a pressing need to place children and young people at the heart of our drive for a stable climate future, how do we, as educators, navigate through the complicated social science of communication when sharing climate knowledge in our classrooms and lecture theatres? In terms of the scope of this article, I believe the considerations around how we climate communicate laid out are relevant to all those attempting to share climate information in an educational setting. However, the concepts discussed may be most relevant to Key Stages 3 and above in a school setting (ages 11+), and in further and higher education settings. Journal Article School Science Review 394 Association of Science Education London 2976-954X 1 7 2025 2025-07-01 https://www.ase.org.uk/resources/school-science-review COLLEGE NANME Biosciences Geography and Physics School COLLEGE CODE BGPS Swansea University Not Required 2025-07-21T13:49:46.2619890 2025-06-26T15:51:41.3999570 Faculty of Science and Engineering School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography Mary Gagen 0000-0002-6820-6457 1
title How not to climate communicate: understanding directionally motivated reasoning and its impact for climate change education
spellingShingle How not to climate communicate: understanding directionally motivated reasoning and its impact for climate change education
Mary Gagen
title_short How not to climate communicate: understanding directionally motivated reasoning and its impact for climate change education
title_full How not to climate communicate: understanding directionally motivated reasoning and its impact for climate change education
title_fullStr How not to climate communicate: understanding directionally motivated reasoning and its impact for climate change education
title_full_unstemmed How not to climate communicate: understanding directionally motivated reasoning and its impact for climate change education
title_sort How not to climate communicate: understanding directionally motivated reasoning and its impact for climate change education
author_id_str_mv e677a6d0777aed90ac1eca8937e43d2b
author_id_fullname_str_mv e677a6d0777aed90ac1eca8937e43d2b_***_Mary Gagen
author Mary Gagen
author2 Mary Gagen
format Journal article
container_title School Science Review
container_volume 394
publishDate 2025
institution Swansea University
issn 2976-954X
publisher Association of Science Education
college_str Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchytype
hierarchy_top_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofscienceandengineering
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Science and Engineering
department_str School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Science and Engineering{{{_:::_}}}School of Biosciences, Geography and Physics - Geography
url https://www.ase.org.uk/resources/school-science-review
document_store_str 0
active_str 0
description Views on climate change have become a shorthand indicator of what kind of person one is and, even from a young age, children and young people understand the importance of feeling a sense of belonging to their social group. The tendency all humans have to interpret information in line with protecting individual belief systems is known as politically, or directionally, motivated reasoning. It has been demonstrated to strongly influence how adults process factual climate information and is suggested to do so in children too. In its essence, directionally motivated reasoning theorises that individuals reject new facts if they contradict their standing beliefs. It is based on neuroscientific, psychological and political science research and has been well tested and found to be particularly strong in the case of contentious topics – such as climate change. Directionally motivated reasoning is the strongest modulator of how well, or poorly, factual climate change information lands with an individual, but most of us delivering climate change education have never heard of it. At a time of dire need, in terms of global climate action, and a pressing need to place children and young people at the heart of our drive for a stable climate future, how do we, as educators, navigate through the complicated social science of communication when sharing climate knowledge in our classrooms and lecture theatres? In terms of the scope of this article, I believe the considerations around how we climate communicate laid out are relevant to all those attempting to share climate information in an educational setting. However, the concepts discussed may be most relevant to Key Stages 3 and above in a school setting (ages 11+), and in further and higher education settings.
published_date 2025-07-01T05:27:59Z
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score 11.089572

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