Media coverage of climate protests within the United States and internationally has shown growing public frustration about governmental responses to climate change. But what are the effects of conveying that people are angry? And how do they contrast with more traditional norm messages about climate policy support? Here, we investigate whether social norm messaging about collective anger can impact perceptions of consensus and public support for climate mitigation. In a pilot study and two survey experiments (total N = 1529), we find that relative to control messages, normative appeals that convey growing public anger about U.S. inaction on climate change (i.e., dynamic anger consensus messaging) can enhance Americans' consensus estimates of other Americans' climate-related beliefs and support for mitigation policy, and expectations for future climate-mitigating collective action. Moreover, exposure to a dynamic anger consensus message led to similar estimates of Americans’ policy support and belief in climate change as messages that explicitly conveyed public support for climate mitigation (Study 1) or consensus belief in anthropogenic climate change (Study 2). When tailored for a cross-partisan audience, anger consensus messaging was also effective in bolstering personal support for climate mitigation (Study 2). Notably, similar effects were observed across partisan groups. These findings suggest that, by signaling shared motivational states, emotion consensus appeals can enhance expectations for social change, with the potential to mobilize bipartisan support for climate mitigation.

媒体对美国国内和国际上的气候抗议活动的报道表明，公众对政府应对气候变化的反应越来越感到沮丧。但是传达人们生气的结果是什么？他们如何与有关气候政策支持的更传统的规范信息进行对比？在这里，我们调查关于集体愤怒的社会规范信息是否会影响对气候减缓的共识和公众支持的看法。在一项试点研究和两个调查实验（总 N = 1529）中，我们发现，相对于控制信息，传达公众对美国对气候变化不作为的日益愤怒的规范呼吁（即动态愤怒共识信息）可以增强美国人的共识估计其他美国人与气候相关的信念和对减缓政策的支持，以及对未来减缓气候变化的集体行动的期望。此外，暴露于动态愤怒共识信息导致对美国人对气候变化的政策支持和信念的估计与明确传达公众支持减缓气候变化（研究 1）或对人为气候变化的共识信念（研究 2）的信息相似。当针对跨党派受众量身定制时，愤怒共识信息在增强个人对减缓气候变化的支持方面也很有效（研究 2）。值得注意的是，跨党派团体也观察到了类似的效果。这些发现表明，通过发出共同的动机状态信号，情绪共识呼吁可以增强对社会变革的期望，并有可能动员两党对减缓气候变化的支持。暴露于动态愤怒共识信息导致对美国人对气候变化的政策支持和信念的估计与明确传达公众支持减缓气候变化的信息（研究 1）或对人为气候变化的共识信念（研究 2）类似。当针对跨党派受众量身定制时，愤怒共识信息在增强个人对减缓气候变化的支持方面也很有效（研究 2）。值得注意的是，跨党派团体也观察到了类似的效果。这些发现表明，通过传达共同的动机状态，情感共识呼吁可以增强对社会变革的期望，并有可能动员两党对减缓气候变化的支持。暴露于动态愤怒共识信息导致对美国人对气候变化的政策支持和信念的估计与明确传达公众支持减缓气候变化的信息（研究 1）或对人为气候变化的共识信念（研究 2）类似。当针对跨党派受众量身定制时，愤怒共识信息在增强个人对减缓气候变化的支持方面也很有效（研究 2）。值得注意的是，跨党派团体也观察到了类似的效果。这些发现表明，通过传达共同的动机状态，情感共识呼吁可以增强对社会变革的期望，并有可能动员两党对减缓气候变化的支持。