Polarized Climate Change Beliefs: No Evidence for Science Literacy Driving Motivated Reasoning in a US National Study

A substantial literature shows that public polarization over climate change in the U.S. is most pronounced among the science literate. A dominant explanation for this phenomenon is that science literacy amplifies motivated reasoning, the tendency to interpret evidence such that it confirms prior beliefs. The present study tests the biasing account of science literacy in a study among the U.S. population that investigated both interpretation of climate change evidence and repeated belief-updating. Results replicated the typical correlational pattern of political polarization as a function of science literacy. However, results delivered little support for the core causal claim of the biasing account-that science literacy drives motivated reasoning. Hence, these results speak against a mechanism whereby science literacy driving motivated reasoning could explain polarized climate change beliefs among the science literate. This study adds to our growing understanding of the role of science literacy for public beliefs about contested science. Public Significance Statement It is a common correlational finding that public polarization over climate change is most pronounced among the science literate. A dominant explanation for this counterintuitive phenomenon is that science literacy drives motivated reasoning, the tendency to interpret evidence such that it confirms a desired conclusion, thereby reinforcing polarization. The present results showed that science literacy did not exacerbate motivated interpretation of climate change evidence. This speaks against a mechanism whereby science literacy driving motivated reasoning could explain polarized climate change beliefs among the science literate.

Automated summary

Public polarization over climate change in the U.S. is most pronounced among the science literate. However, science literacy does not exacerbate motivated interpretation of climate change evidence.