Subjective attribution, experiences, behaviors, and climate policy support during increasingly risky storms Cell Reports Sustainability

Subjective attribution—the perception that an extreme weather event is caused by climate change—is an important but understudied precursor to intended climate action. Our project advances understanding of how subjective attribution changes in response to exposure to specific extreme weather events, negative experiences that arise from that exposure, and how changes in attribution importantly relate to climate action. Our findings suggest that people process information about their exposure to events and quickly determine what they attribute that event to, as well as how that attribution may inform their decisions to adapt to or mitigate climate change. Our findings suggest possible pathways for interventions to improve people’s responses to intensifying extreme weather events, including using these events as an opportunity to discuss climate change and ways that people can respond. Grant no. NA19OAR0220119 Grant no. NA19OAR0220095 Grant no. NA20OAR4590469