Scott Hershberger

Thank you for coming to my workshop at the 2025 Midwest Climate Resilience Conference! Here are the references, grouped by section of the session. You can also download my slides and the worksheet (Word document or PDF version) we used. If you have trouble accessing any of the papers below, feel free to email me and I can send you a copy.

Audience segmentation and why “the general public” does not exist

• Hershberger, S., & Newman, T. P. (in press). How Wisconsin Extension Educators Talk About Climate Change Without Talking About “Climate Change.” The Journal of Extension. [based on my master’s thesis, which you can read here: https://scott-hershberger.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ms-thesis-extension-climate-communication-4.pdf]
• Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Goddard, E., Carman, J., Myers, T., Verner, M., Marlon, J., Goldberg, M., Ettinger, J., Richards, E., Fine, J., & Thier, K. (2025, March 20). Global Warming’s Six Americas, Fall 2024. Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/global-warmings-six-americas-fall-2024/
• Nowatzke, L. W., & Arbuckle, J. G. (2025). Global warming’s “Six Americas” among Iowa farmers: Exploring differential attitudes towards climate change and agriculture. Npj Climate Action, 4(1), 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-025-00239-0
• Tools for Engaging Landowners Effectively (2018). Woodland Owner Profile: All Family 10+ Acres, Wisconsin. https://www.engaginglandowners.org/landowner-data/find-profiles?region=All&state=58

To say “climate change” or not to say “climate change”

• Carman, J. P., Lacroix, K., Goldberg, M. H., Rosenthal, S., Gustafson, A., Howe, P., Marlon, J., & Leiserowitz, A. (2022). Measuring Americans’ Support for Adapting to “Climate Change” or “Extreme Weather.” Environmental Communication, 16(5), 577–588. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2022.2087709
• Hershberger, S., & Newman, T. P. (in press). How Wisconsin Extension Educators Talk About Climate Change Without Talking About “Climate Change.” The Journal of Extension. [based on my master’s thesis, which you can read here: https://scott-hershberger.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ms-thesis-extension-climate-communication-4.pdf]
• Hornsey, M. J., Harris, E. A., Bain, P. G., & Fielding, K. S. (2016). Meta-analyses of the determinants and outcomes of belief in climate change. Nature Climate Change, 6, Article 6. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate2943
• Kahan, D. M., Peters, E., Wittlin, M., Slovic, P., Ouellette, L. L., Braman, D., & Mandel, G. (2012). The polarizing impact of science literacy and numeracy on perceived climate change risks. Nature Climate Change, 2, Article 10. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate1547
• Lacroix, K., Goldberg, M. H., Gustafson, A., Rosenthal, S. A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2021). Different names for “natural gas” influence public perception of it. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 77, 101671. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101671

Value-focused messaging and cultivating a sense of agency

• Carman, J., Verner, M., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Maibach, E., & Leiserowitz, A. (2024, September 12). Changes in U.S. voters’ top reasons to reduce global warming. Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. https://climatecommunication.yale.edu/publications/voters-reasons-to-reduce-gw/
• Coleman, R., Thorson, E., Jimenez, C., & Vinton, K. (2024). Reaching Science Skeptics: How Adaptive Framing of Climate Change Leads to Positive Responses Via Persuasion Knowledge and Perceived Behavioral Control. Communication Research, 51(4), 392–414. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502221084925
• Goldberg, M. H., Gustafson, A., Rosenthal, S. A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2021). Shifting Republican views on climate change through targeted advertising. Nature Climate Change, 11(7), Article 7. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-021-01070-1
• Guenther, L., Jörges, S., Mahl, D., & Brüggemann, M. (2023). Framing as a Bridging Concept for Climate Change Communication: A Systematic Review Based on 25 Years of Literature. Communication Research, 51(4), 367–391. https://doi.org/10.1177/00936502221137165
• Hart, P. S., & Feldman, L. (2018). Would it be better to not talk about climate change? The impact of climate change and air pollution frames on support for regulating power plant emissions. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 60, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2018.08.013
• Hayhoe, K. (2021). Saving Us: A Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a Divided World. Simon & Schuster. [also see her TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BvcToPZCLI]
• Hershberger, S. (2025, August 11). Southern Wisconsin Woodland Stewards Urged to Check for Invasive Stiltgrass. University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension Forestry. https://woodlandinfo.org/invasive-stiltgrass-rock-county/
• Hershberger, S., & Newman, T. P. (in press). How Wisconsin Extension Educators Talk About Climate Change Without Talking About “Climate Change.” The Journal of Extension. [based on my master’s thesis, which you can read here: https://scott-hershberger.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/ms-thesis-extension-climate-communication-4.pdf]
• Jugert, P., Greenaway, K. H., Barth, M., Büchner, R., Eisentraut, S., & Fritsche, I. (2016). Collective efficacy increases pro-environmental intentions through increasing self-efficacy. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 48, 12–23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2016.08.003
• Kusmanoff, A. M., Fidler, F., Gordon, A., Garrard, G. E., & Bekessy, S. A. (2020). Five lessons to guide more effective biodiversity conservation message framing. Conservation Biology, 34(5), 1131–1141. https://doi.org/10.1111/cobi.13482
• Lamm, A. E., McCann, R. G. H., & Howe, P. D. (2022). I could but I don’t: What does it take to adopt pro-environmental behaviors in the United States? Energy Research & Social Science, 93, 102845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2022.102845
• Sinclair, A. H., Cosme, D., Lydic, K., Reinero, D. A., Carreras-Tartak, J., Mann, M. E., & Falk, E. B. (2025). Behavioral interventions motivate action to address climate change. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(20), e2426768122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2426768122
• Syropoulos, S., & Markowitz, E. (2024). Responsibility towards future generations is a strong predictor of proenvironmental engagement. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 93, 102218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102218
• Syropoulos, S., Markowitz, E. M., Demarest, B., & Shrum, T. (2023). A letter to future generations: Examining the effectiveness of an intergenerational framing intervention. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 90, 102074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2023.102074
• University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension Forestry [@wiscextforestry]. (2025, August 12). There’s a new invasive plant in Wisconsin, and we want your help searching for it. Japanese stiltgrass is a non-native [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/DNRUYffJfxo/
• University of Wisconsin–Madison Extension Forestry [@wiscextforestry]. (2025, August 26). Invasive stiltgrass update: In the two weeks since we announced the detection of this new invasive plant in Rock County [Video]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/DNRUYffJfxo/

Leveraging social norms to spur behavior change

• Allcott, H. (2011). Social norms and energy conservation. Journal of Public Economics, 95(9), 1082–1095. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2011.03.003
• Constantino, S. M., Sparkman, G., Kraft-Todd, G. T., Bicchieri, C., Centola, D., Shell-Duncan, B., Vogt, S., & Weber, E. U. (2022). Scaling Up Change: A Critical Review and Practical Guide to Harnessing Social Norms for Climate Action. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 23(2), 50–97. https://doi.org/10.1177/15291006221105279
• Desprez, J., Hershberger, S., Kovacs, O., Phelps, K., & Tiles, K. (2025). Midwest and Northeast Forests Extension Climate Change Community of Practice Survey Report. University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension Forestry & Wildlife Program. https://scott-hershberger.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/midwest-and-northeast-forests-extension-climate-change-community-of-practice-survey-report.pdf
• Goldberg, M. H., van der Linden, S., Leiserowitz, A., & Maibach, E. (2020). Perceived Social Consensus Can Reduce Ideological Biases on Climate Change. Environment and Behavior, 52(5), 495–517. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013916519853302
• Kawa, N. C. (2021). A “Win-Win” for Soil Conservation? How Indiana Row-Crop Farmers Perceive the Benefits (and Trade-offs) of No-Till Agriculture. Culture, Agriculture, Food and Environment, 43(1), 25–35. https://doi.org/10.1111/cuag.12264
• Mildenberger, M., & Tingley, D. (2019). Beliefs about Climate Beliefs: The Importance of Second-Order Opinions for Climate Politics. British Journal of Political Science, 49(4), 1279–1307. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007123417000321
• Miller, D. T., & Prentice, D. A. (2016). Changing Norms to Change Behavior. Annual Review of Psychology, 67(1), 339–361. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-010814-015013
• Rare. (2024, September 24). Climate Culture Index 2024. Rare. https://rare.org/research-reports/climate-culture-index-2024/
• Rare. (2020). Opower: Leveraging Social Norms to Reduce Household Energy Use. https://behavior.rare.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Social-Influences.-Opower.7.8.pdf
• Sparkman, G., Geiger, N., & Weber, E. U. (2022). Americans experience a false social reality by underestimating popular climate policy support by nearly half. Nature Communications, 13, Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32412-y
• Sparkman, G., & Walton, G. M. (2017). Dynamic Norms Promote Sustainable Behavior, Even if It Is Counternormative. Psychological Science, 28(11), 1663–1674. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617719950
• Syropoulos, S., & Sparkman, G. (2025). Most Christian American religious leaders silently believe in climate change, and informing their congregation can help open dialogue. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(13), e2419705122. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2419705122

How to handle misinformation and disinformation

• Altay, S., Berriche, M., Heuer, H., Farkas, J., & Rathje, S. (2023). A survey of expert views on misinformation: Definitions, determinants, solutions, and future of the field. Harvard Kennedy School Misinformation Review. https://doi.org/10.37016/mr-2020-119
• Brown, T. K. (2022, June 30). How the gas industry aims to rebrand as ‘clean’ energy to appeal to Black and Latino voters. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/30/gas-industry-pr-advertise-people-of-color
• Cook, J. (2020, March 31). A history of FLICC: The 5 techniques of science denial. Skeptical Science. https://skepticalscience.com/history-FLICC-5-techniques-science-denial.html
• Dunlap, R. E., & McCright, A. M. (2011). Organized Climate Change Denial. In J. S. Dryzek, R. B. Norgaard, & D. Schlosberg (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Climate Change and Society (pp. 144–160). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199566600.003.0010
• Ecker, U. K. H., Lewandowsky, S., Cook, J., Schmid, P., Fazio, L. K., Brashier, N., Kendeou, P., Vraga, E. K., & Amazeen, M. A. (2022). The psychological drivers of misinformation belief and its resistance to correction. Nature Reviews Psychology, 1(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44159-021-00006-y
• King, J. (2023). Deny, Deceive, Delay (Vol 2): Exposing New Trends in Climate Mis- and Disinformation at COP27. Climate Action Against Disinformation. https://caad.info/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/DDD_ExposingClimateDisinfo-COP27.pdf
• Leber, R. (2020, June 17). The gas industry is paying Instagram influencers to gush over gas stoves. Mother Jones. https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2020/06/gas-industry-influencers-stoves/
• Lewandowsky, S., Cook, J., Ecker, U. K. H., Albarracín, D., Amazeen, M. A., Kendeou, P., Lombardi, D., Newman, E. J., Pennycook, G., Porter, E., Rand, D. G., Rapp, D. N., Reifler, J., Roozenbeek, J., Schmid, P., Seifert, C. M., Sinatra, G. M., Swire-Thompson, B., van der Linden, S., … Zaragoza, M. S. (2020). The Debunking Handbook 2020. Databrary. https://sks.to/db2020
• McRaney, D. (2022). How Minds Change: The Surprising Science of Belief, Opinion, and Persuasion. Portfolio/Penguin.
• Prike, T., & Ecker, U. K. H. (2023). Effective correction of misinformation. Current Opinion in Psychology, 54, 101712. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101712
• Traberg, C. S., Roozenbeek, J., & van der Linden, S. (2022). Psychological Inoculation against Misinformation: Current Evidence and Future Directions. The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 700(1), 136–151. https://doi.org/10.1177/00027162221087936
• Udry, J., & Barber, S. J. (2024). The illusory truth effect: A review of how repetition increases belief in misinformation. Current Opinion in Psychology, 56, 101736. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101736
• Wardle, C. (2017, February 16). Fake news. It’s complicated. First Draft. https://firstdraftnews.org:443/articles/fake-news-complicated/
• Williams, E. L., Bartone, S. A., Swanson, E. K., & Stokes, L. C. (2022). The American electric utility industry’s role in promoting climate denial, doubt, and delay. Environmental Research Letters, 17(9), 094026. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac8ab3

Putting the pieces together

• Hershberger, S. (2023, September 15). Adapting to Changes in Your Sugarbush. University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension Maple Syrup Program. https://maple.extension.wisc.edu/adaptation-menu/