Defining climate change acceptance in undergraduate science student populations: A Delphi study

Acceptance of climate change often promotes pro-environmental behavior and encourages greater support of climate change policy and mitigation strategies. Despite its important role, no standardized definition of climate change acceptance exists in the published literature, leading to significant variability in how it is measured by researchers. Additionally, climate change is included in many educational frameworks as a vital curricular topic for establishing scientific literacy; however, student acceptance is neglected as a key factor. This ambiguity makes it difficult to compare research findings from studies measuring acceptance and further complicates educational efforts aimed at fostering climate literacy. The goal of the present study was to establish a consensus definition of climate change acceptance for undergraduate science student populations using a mixed-methods Delphi methodology. Our process integrated data from three sources: a preliminary framework of 14 constructs derived from a scoping review of 523 articles, a pilot survey of undergraduate students, and four iterative rounds of interviews and surveys with 210 experts and stakeholders in biology, chemistry, and geosciences. After multiple rounds of data collection and revision, expert consensus and stability of responses resulted in two definitions for climate change acceptance: the Anthropogenic Definition, which focuses on climate change occurrence and human causality, and the Anthropogenic + Mechanistic Definition, which also incorporates mechanisms of temperature and greenhouse gases. This bipolarity of opinion amongst participants suggests that the appropriate definition for an undergraduate student may depend on educational context or academic level. These rigorously researched definitions provide needed context for existing research instruments, a clearer target for future instruments, and guidance for post-secondary science educators on what constitutes acceptance at different levels.