The future of climate change beliefs

In her research, Madalina Vlasceanu explores the psychology of sustainability. She’s keenly interested in how people form beliefs and what motivates them to action. Her research shows that the erosion of institutional trust is an intentional tactic and that climate polarization is manufactured by fossil fuel interests to drive disengagement. Vlasceanu offers evidence-based recommendations for turning despair into action. Concern for future generations is an effective strategy for generating policy support, she says, while restoring trust in institutions is key to action. Climate change is a collective problem and we must address it collectively, Vlasceanu tells host Russ Altman on this episode of Stanford Engineering’s The Future of Everything podcast. Have a question for Russ? Send it our way in writing or via voice memo, and it might be featured on an upcoming episode. Please introduce yourself, let us know where you're listening from, and share your question. You can send questions to [email protected]. Episode Reference Links: Stanford Profile: Madalina Vlasceanu Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>> Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Chapters: (00:00:00) Introduction Russ Altman introduces guest Madalina Vlasceanu, a professor of environmental social science and organizational behavior at Stanford University. (00:01:50) Studying Climate Beliefs How Vlasceanu moved from memory research to studying misinformation, belief formation, and climate action. (00:03:33) Climate Misinformation and Disinformation The large amount of false information shared both unintentionally and deliberately to mislead. (00:05:35) The Polarization of Climate Beliefs How climate change shifted from a relatively nonpartisan issue to one strongly shaped by political identity and elite influence. (00:08:28) How Groups Shape Beliefs Why people form beliefs not only through evidence and reasoning, but also through social cues, identity, and the desire to belong. (00:10:02) Individual vs. Collective Climate Action How climate solutions range from personal lifestyle changes to collective action and system-level change. (00:11:25) Misjudging Climate Impact Why people tend to overestimate low-impact actions like recycling and underestimate higher-impact choices. (00:14:15) Correcting Climate Misperceptions How simple information can help people better understand which climate actions have the greatest impact. (00:15:51) Prediction and Learning Why prediction errors can strengthen learning, memory, and belief updating. (00:16:25) Algorithms, AI, and Climate Beliefs How online systems can amplify misinformation and existing biases—and how better policy could potentially redirect them. (00:18:13) AI’s Climate Impact How AI affects the climate not only through data centers, but also by increasing efficiency across existing energy industries. (00:21:42) Collective Action’s Impact The difficulty of quantifying the impact and the power of collective action (00:24:41) Motivating Civic Engagement How contacting representatives, voting, joining organizations, and participating locally can influence climate policy. (00:26:38) What Motivates Climate Action? Large-scale studies compare interventions to identify which psychological strategies work best. (00:31:07) Extreme Weather and Climate Beliefs Why experiencing a natural disaster does not necessarily change climate beliefs unless people connect the event to climate change. (00:33:27) Future In a Minute Rapid-fire Q&A: collective action, democracy, and hope for the future. (00:34:57) Conclusion Connect With Us: Episode Transcripts >>> The Future of Everything Website Connect with Russ >>> Threads / Bluesky / Mastodon Connect with School of Engineering >>>Twitter/X / Instagram / LinkedIn / Facebook Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.