The Credibility Costs of Activist Self-Presentation for Climate Scientists: Evidence from a Preregistered Experiment in France

Feeling unheard by decision-makers, some scientists turn to activism in response to the climateemergency. This preregistered experiment examined whether such activist engagement affects theircredibility among segments of the public. French participants (N=4,000) from a nationallyrepresentative sample were randomly assigned to read one of two versions of a newspaper article.In both, a climatologist made identical statements about the climate impact of meat consumptionbut introduced herself as either an “activist scientist” or a “fact-focused scientist.” Compared to thefact-focused condition, the activist framing led participants from the center, right, and far right ofthe political spectrum to perceive the climatologist as less reliable and to express lower trust in herstatements. Similar albeit weaker effects were observed on her persuasive impact, measured byparticipants’ openness to reducing their meat consumption. These findings highlight the credibilitycosts of activist self-presentation for climate scientists seeking to reach broad audiences.