What does this research mean for the field?

The causal relationship between climate policy acceptance and perceived effectiveness is conditionally bidirectional: effectiveness perceptions drive acceptance only among supporters and undecided individuals, whereas acceptance shapes effectiveness perceptions across all groups. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.CONTRADICTORY. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.CHALLENGES_CONSENSUS.

What question did this study set out to answer?

To determine whether the causal relationship between climate policy acceptance and perceived effectiveness is bidirectional, and whether general climate policy support moderates this relationship.

September 3, 2026Communications SustainabilityOpen Access

Conditional bidirectionality between climate policy acceptance and perceived effectiveness

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Authors

JHJean-Henri Huttarsch IWIngo Wolf

Discussion

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Implication

Factorial survey experiment reveals conditional bidirectionality between policy acceptance and perceived effectiveness in the heating sector, suggesting fairness and low costs increase public buy-in.

Key Points

To determine whether the causal relationship between climate policy acceptance and perceived effectiveness is bidirectional, and whether general climate policy support moderates this relationship.
Conducted a factorial survey experiment focused on heating sector instruments among survey participants (N = 2579).
Assessed how effectiveness information and design features such as fairness and personal cost influence both policy acceptance and perceived effectiveness across supporters, opponents, and undecided individuals.
Providing optimistic effectiveness information increased policy acceptance via perceived effectiveness solely among general climate policy supporters and undecided individuals.
The reverse pathway, in which policy acceptance directly shaped perceived effectiveness, operated across all cohorts, including policy opponents.
Instruments characterized by fair design and low personal costs produced higher acceptance, subsequently driving higher perceived effectiveness.

Cite This Study

Huttarsch et al. (2026) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a9934b4636c6408cfa7c673 https://doi.org/10.1038/s44458-026-00149-0

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Implication

Factorial survey experiment reveals conditional bidirectionality between policy acceptance and perceived effectiveness in the heating sector, suggesting fairness and low costs increase public buy-in.

Conditional bidirectionality between climate policy acceptance and perceived effectiveness

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Conditional bidirectionality between climate policy acceptance and perceived effectiveness

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Also Consider

Also Consider