Madalina Vlasceanu is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Social Sciences at Stanford University, and the Director of the Stanford Climate Cognition Lab. In 2025 Madalina was named a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science and received the Robert B. Cialdini Prize from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Sander van der Linden is a Professor of Social Psychology in Society at the University of Cambridge and one of the top 1% most highly cited social scientists globally. He is the author of award-winning books including Foolproof and The Psychology of Misinformation (2024), and the former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

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• Foreword Elke Weber; Introduction: how behavioral science can help facilitate solutions to the climate crisis Madalina Vlasceanu and Sander van der Linden; Part I. Individual Level Psychological Processes: Perception, Memory, and Cognition: 1. Cognitive foundations of climate solutions Jade Radke and Jiaying Zhao; 2. Psychology of public support for sustainability technology Leaf Van Boven and Sarah Gonzalez Coffin; Emotions and Affect: 3. From emotions to climate solutions: affective mechanisms and pathways Tobias Brosch; 4. The many roles of emotions in climate-related decisions Gisela Bohm; 5. The affect heuristic and pro-environmental behavior: leveraging affect for impactful action Daniel Västfjäll; Values: 6. The role of personal values in driving climate solutions Pedro Augusto Bertucci Lima and Judith Irene Maria de Groot; Beliefs, Misinformation, and Conspiracy Theories: 7. The role of beliefs and attitudes in climate change solutions Matt Goldberg, Elisa Tedaldi and Anthony Leiserowitz; 8. Harnessing climate justice beliefs for equitable climate solutions Charles A. Ogunbode and Thea Gregersen; 9. The Impact of misinformation and conspiracy theories on climate denial and resistance to mitigation Dylan de Gourville, Ullrich Ecker, Ricky Green, Mikey Biddlestone, Emily Spearing, John Cook and Karen M. Douglas; Part II. Collective Level Psychological Processes: Motivated Reasoning and Political Polarization: 10. Why climate change beliefs are politically polarised, and what can be done about it Matthew Hornsey and Gabriela Czarnek; 11. Motivated reasoning and political polarization in opinions about extreme weather and climate change Robin Bayes, James N. Druckman and Daniel C. Molden; Social Norms and Social Learning 12. How social norms influence climate solutions Samantha N. Mertens and P. Wesley Schultz; 13. The causes of and solutions to pluralistic ignorance on climate change Nathaniel Geiger and Gregg Sparkman; 14. The use of shaming in policy, governance, and law to advance climate solutions Sharon Yadin and Edward Maibach; 15. Leveraging social norms to address climate change: social misperceptions and norm dynamics Sara Constantino; Social Identity: 16. Social identity processes: 'we' as climate solution Immo Fritsche, Torsten Masson and Julian Bleh; 17. Environment, identity, and the drive toward climate solutions Susan Clayton; Culture: 18. How culture shapes environmental action: a multidimensional approach Kimin Eom, Heejung S. Kim and David K. Sherman; 19. The role of cultural values in driving climate action: a focus on policy Rachelle K. Gould; Part III. Individual and Collective Climate Action: Judgement and Decision-Making: 20. Judgement and Decision-Making: 20. Behavioural interventions driving climate action Malte Dewies and Lucia Reisch; 21. For decision-making about climate action, process matters Joseph Árvai; 22. Environmental comparative optimism and legacy motives in climate decision-making Taciano L. Milfont; Individual-Level Behavioral Change: 23. Bridging individuals and systems for effective behaviour change Lorraine Whitmarsh and Sam Hampton; 24. The role of behavior change in climate solutions Amanda R. Carrico; 25. Nudges vs. systemic change as climate solutions Luke R. D. Pringle, Quentin Atkinson and Jennifer Jacquet; Collective Action and Social Movements: 26. The role of collective action in driving climate solutions Thomas Dietz; 27. The social dilemma of climate change: think and act local Paul K. Bergmann and Paul A. M. Van Lange; 28. Social movements and mobilization for climate solutions Rachael Shwom; Conclusion: summary for policymakers and practitioners Madalina Vlasceanu, Danielle Goldwert and Sander van der Linden.

Madalina Vlasceanu is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Social Sciences at Stanford University, and the Director of the Stanford Climate Cognition Lab. In 2025 Madalina was named a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science and received the Robert B. Cialdini Prize from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Sander van der Linden is a Professor of Social Psychology in Society at the University of Cambridge and one of the top 1% most highly cited social scientists globally. He is the author of award-winning books including Foolproof and The Psychology of Misinformation (2024), and the former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

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• Foreword Elke Weber; Introduction: how behavioral science can help facilitate solutions to the climate crisis Madalina Vlasceanu and Sander van der Linden; Part I. Individual Level Psychological Processes: Perception, Memory, and Cognition: 1. Cognitive foundations of climate solutions Jade Radke and Jiaying Zhao; 2. Psychology of public support for sustainability technology Leaf Van Boven and Sarah Gonzalez Coffin; Emotions and Affect: 3. From emotions to climate solutions: affective mechanisms and pathways Tobias Brosch; 4. The many roles of emotions in climate-related decisions Gisela Bohm; 5. The affect heuristic and pro-environmental behavior: leveraging affect for impactful action Daniel Västfjäll; Values: 6. The role of personal values in driving climate solutions Pedro Augusto Bertucci Lima and Judith Irene Maria de Groot; Beliefs, Misinformation, and Conspiracy Theories: 7. The role of beliefs and attitudes in climate change solutions Matt Goldberg, Elisa Tedaldi and Anthony Leiserowitz; 8. Harnessing climate justice beliefs for equitable climate solutions Charles A. Ogunbode and Thea Gregersen; 9. The Impact of misinformation and conspiracy theories on climate denial and resistance to mitigation Dylan de Gourville, Ullrich Ecker, Ricky Green, Mikey Biddlestone, Emily Spearing, John Cook and Karen M. Douglas; Part II. Collective Level Psychological Processes: Motivated Reasoning and Political Polarization: 10. Why climate change beliefs are politically polarised, and what can be done about it Matthew Hornsey and Gabriela Czarnek; 11. Motivated reasoning and political polarization in opinions about extreme weather and climate change Robin Bayes, James N. Druckman and Daniel C. Molden; Social Norms and Social Learning 12. How social norms influence climate solutions Samantha N. Mertens and P. Wesley Schultz; 13. The causes of and solutions to pluralistic ignorance on climate change Nathaniel Geiger and Gregg Sparkman; 14. The use of shaming in policy, governance, and law to advance climate solutions Sharon Yadin and Edward Maibach; 15. Leveraging social norms to address climate change: social misperceptions and norm dynamics Sara Constantino; Social Identity: 16. Social identity processes: 'we' as climate solution Immo Fritsche, Torsten Masson and Julian Bleh; 17. Environment, identity, and the drive toward climate solutions Susan Clayton; Culture: 18. How culture shapes environmental action: a multidimensional approach Kimin Eom, Heejung S. Kim and David K. Sherman; 19. The role of cultural values in driving climate action: a focus on policy Rachelle K. Gould; Part III. Individual and Collective Climate Action: Judgement and Decision-Making: 20. Judgement and Decision-Making: 20. Behavioural interventions driving climate action Malte Dewies and Lucia Reisch; 21. For decision-making about climate action, process matters Joseph Árvai; 22. Environmental comparative optimism and legacy motives in climate decision-making Taciano L. Milfont; Individual-Level Behavioral Change: 23. Bridging individuals and systems for effective behaviour change Lorraine Whitmarsh and Sam Hampton; 24. The role of behavior change in climate solutions Amanda R. Carrico; 25. Nudges vs. systemic change as climate solutions Luke R. D. Pringle, Quentin Atkinson and Jennifer Jacquet; Collective Action and Social Movements: 26. The role of collective action in driving climate solutions Thomas Dietz; 27. The social dilemma of climate change: think and act local Paul K. Bergmann and Paul A. M. Van Lange; 28. Social movements and mobilization for climate solutions Rachael Shwom; Conclusion: summary for policymakers and practitioners Madalina Vlasceanu, Danielle Goldwert and Sander van der Linden.

Madalina Vlasceanu is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Social Sciences at Stanford University, and the Director of the Stanford Climate Cognition Lab. In 2025 Madalina was named a Rising Star by the Association for Psychological Science and received the Robert B. Cialdini Prize from the Society for Personality and Social Psychology. Sander van der Linden is a Professor of Social Psychology in Society at the University of Cambridge and one of the top 1% most highly cited social scientists globally. He is the author of award-winning books including Foolproof and The Psychology of Misinformation (2024), and the former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Select Guide Rating

• Foreword Elke Weber; Introduction: how behavioral science can help facilitate solutions to the climate crisis Madalina Vlasceanu and Sander van der Linden; Part I. Individual Level Psychological Processes: Perception, Memory, and Cognition: 1. Cognitive foundations of climate solutions Jade Radke and Jiaying Zhao; 2. Psychology of public support for sustainability technology Leaf Van Boven and Sarah Gonzalez Coffin; Emotions and Affect: 3. From emotions to climate solutions: affective mechanisms and pathways Tobias Brosch; 4. The many roles of emotions in climate-related decisions Gisela Bohm; 5. The affect heuristic and pro-environmental behavior: leveraging affect for impactful action Daniel Västfjäll; Values: 6. The role of personal values in driving climate solutions Pedro Augusto Bertucci Lima and Judith Irene Maria de Groot; Beliefs, Misinformation, and Conspiracy Theories: 7. The role of beliefs and attitudes in climate change solutions Matt Goldberg, Elisa Tedaldi and Anthony Leiserowitz; 8. Harnessing climate justice beliefs for equitable climate solutions Charles A. Ogunbode and Thea Gregersen; 9. The Impact of misinformation and conspiracy theories on climate denial and resistance to mitigation Dylan de Gourville, Ullrich Ecker, Ricky Green, Mikey Biddlestone, Emily Spearing, John Cook and Karen M. Douglas; Part II. Collective Level Psychological Processes: Motivated Reasoning and Political Polarization: 10. Why climate change beliefs are politically polarised, and what can be done about it Matthew Hornsey and Gabriela Czarnek; 11. Motivated reasoning and political polarization in opinions about extreme weather and climate change Robin Bayes, James N. Druckman and Daniel C. Molden; Social Norms and Social Learning 12. How social norms influence climate solutions Samantha N. Mertens and P. Wesley Schultz; 13. The causes of and solutions to pluralistic ignorance on climate change Nathaniel Geiger and Gregg Sparkman; 14. The use of shaming in policy, governance, and law to advance climate solutions Sharon Yadin and Edward Maibach; 15. Leveraging social norms to address climate change: social misperceptions and norm dynamics Sara Constantino; Social Identity: 16. Social identity processes: 'we' as climate solution Immo Fritsche, Torsten Masson and Julian Bleh; 17. Environment, identity, and the drive toward climate solutions Susan Clayton; Culture: 18. How culture shapes environmental action: a multidimensional approach Kimin Eom, Heejung S. Kim and David K. Sherman; 19. The role of cultural values in driving climate action: a focus on policy Rachelle K. Gould; Part III. Individual and Collective Climate Action: Judgement and Decision-Making: 20. Judgement and Decision-Making: 20. Behavioural interventions driving climate action Malte Dewies and Lucia Reisch; 21. For decision-making about climate action, process matters Joseph Árvai; 22. Environmental comparative optimism and legacy motives in climate decision-making Taciano L. Milfont; Individual-Level Behavioral Change: 23. Bridging individuals and systems for effective behaviour change Lorraine Whitmarsh and Sam Hampton; 24. The role of behavior change in climate solutions Amanda R. Carrico; 25. Nudges vs. systemic change as climate solutions Luke R. D. Pringle, Quentin Atkinson and Jennifer Jacquet; Collective Action and Social Movements: 26. The role of collective action in driving climate solutions Thomas Dietz; 27. The social dilemma of climate change: think and act local Paul K. Bergmann and Paul A. M. Van Lange; 28. Social movements and mobilization for climate solutions Rachael Shwom; Conclusion: summary for policymakers and practitioners Madalina Vlasceanu, Danielle Goldwert and Sander van der Linden.