Prebunking Climate Doom: Psychological Vaccines That Boost Action

New research summarized in The Conversation finds that doom-laden climate headlines can dampen action by triggering hopelessness and perceived manipulation, but preemptive inoculation—exposing a weakened doom narrative and testing understanding—helps people recognize manipulation, reduces sharing of doom content, and can sustain or increase pro-climate intentions; experts urge solution-focused climate journalism to engage skeptical audiences.