Expert on survey research methods to speak on climate change April 6

Stanford professor Jon Krosnick to share study results of Massachusetts’ residents

Climate scientists continue to be frustrated by the apparent indifference of the American public to climate change. Vigorous campaigns have challenged scientific findings and the scientists who profess them; recent news headlines suggest that concern about climate change has decreased in recent years.

Stanford professor Jon Krosnick, a leading international authority on survey research methods, has been studying the American public’s views on global warming and climate change through national and regional in-depth surveys over the past 15 years. Contrary to many claims, he has found that large majorities of the public accept the views of climate scientists and support government action to address the problem.

Krosnick’s most recent statewide surveys conducted in the summer of 2010 examined opinions in Maine, Florida and Massachusetts. The results challenge widely-held presumptions about public opinion in those states and the nation. Since then, professor Krosnick has updated his findings, combining them with national survey data and undertaking statistical analysis. His work has added value and depth to the Massachusetts study allowing a more detailed portrayal of resident opinions on climate change and what they think their government representatives should do to address its impact on their communities. 

Krosnick will share his research with the Brandeis community on April 6, at noon, at the Heller School of Social Policy and Management, Room G3, lower floor of Schneider Building.
           
Krosnick is a world-recognized expert on the psychology of attitudes, especially in the area of politics. He is co-principal investigator of the American National Election Study, the nation’s preeminent academic research project exploring voter decision-making and political campaign effects. Krosnick is a Frederic O. Glover Professor of Humanities and Social Sciences and professor of communication, political science, and psychology at Stanford University.

Categories: Humanities and Social Sciences, Research

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