Our Research Team is expert in the uses of communication and social marketing to help people, organizations, communities and nations achieve their goals. Our expertise spans the broad range of social and behavioral science research methods that are used to develop and improve behavior change and policy change initiatives.

We are joined by a spectacular group of Affiliate Researchers, research professionals who work in various universities and other organizations around the country – and around the world – to improve climate change communication.

And finally, we are fortunate to have a remarkable (and soon to be growing) Advisory Board – a committed group of leaders in related fields who help guide our efforts.

• The development of social change campaigns using “evidence-based” practices. We draw from our diverse experiences with climate change and sustainability issues, public health and safety issues, efforts to advance science-based policy-making, and social and economic development.
   
• Audience analysis including public opinion and marketing research, risk and policy perception studies, audience segmentation and profiling, and studies of special populations (popular opinion leaders, children and teens, and economically disadvantaged groups).
   
• Message and media effects research using naturalistic and experimental studies to assess the impact of messages and media use.
   
• Media content research to identify what is portrayed in news and entertainment media, and critical analysis of media and other facets of popular culture that influence and reinforce social norms.
   
• The dynamics of how to communicate complex information – which is often information about personal or societal risk – through the media, organizations, and person-to-person through social networks.
   
• The challenges of communicating effectively across cultures.
   
• The behavior change potential of new media technologies.
   
• Methods to evaluate the effectiveness and impact of behavior change and policy change campaigns.
   

• What makes people care – or not – about climate change?
   
• What factors predispose people to take action to reduce their own energy use and greenhouse gas emissions?
   
• What makes some people care enough to call or write elected officials, urging them to enact prudent policies or legislation?
   
• How can the influence of “popular opinion leaders” in a community be harnessed to promote new social norms?
   
• How do family dynamics (e.g., parent-child interactions) influence conservation behavior and political action?
   
• What is the best way to structure a list of “things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint?”
   
• And perhaps most importantly, how can communication and social marketing campaigns be used to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas pollution?
   

Journal Articles

Zhao, X., Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C. (in press) Attention to science/environment news positively predicts and attention to political news negatively predicts global warming risk perceptions and policy support. Journal of Communication.

Akerlof, K., DeBono R., Berry P., Leiserowitz A., Roser-Renouf C., Clarke, K.-L., Rogaeva, A., Nisbet, M.C., Weathers, M.R., Miabach, E.W. (2010). Public Perceptions of Climate Change as a Human Health Risk: Surveys of the United States, Canada and Malta. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7(6):2559-2606. Retrieve here.

Maibach, E.W., Nisbet, M.C., Baldwin, P., Akerlof, K., & Diao, G. (2010). Reframing climate change as a public health issue: An exploratory study of public reactions. BMC Public Health, 10 (299). doi:10.1186/1471-2458-10-299. Retrieve here.

Jun, J. (2010). How climate change organizations utilize websites for public relations. National Communication Association annual conference, San Francisco.

Jun, J. (2010). How Korean newspapers construct climate change information : Examining Asian perceptions and communication on climate change risk. National Communication Association annual conference, San Francisco.

Weathers, M., Jun, J., & Walsch, D. (2010). Informal opinion leaders as a climate change public engagement strategy: An analysis of The Climate Project. National Communication Association annual conference, San Francisco.

Villagran, M. M., Weathers, M. R., Keefe, B., & Sparks, L. (2010). Medical providers as global warming and climate change (GWCC) health educators: A health literacy approach. Communication Education, 59 (3). doi:10.1080/03634521003624049. Retrieve here.

Farnsworth, S. J., and Lichter, S.R. (2009). The structure of evolving U.S. scientific opinion on climate change and its potential consequences. American Political Science Association, Toronto, Canada. September 2009.

Soroka, S., Farnsworth, S. J., Young, L., & Lawlor, A. (2009). Environment and energy policy: Comparing reports from U.S. and Canadian network news.  American Political Science Association, Toronto, Canada. September 2009.

Maibach, E., Steg, L., & Anable, J. (2009) Promoting physical activity and reducing climate change: Opportunities to replace short car trips with active transportation. Preventive Medicine, 49(4), 326-327. Retrieve here.

Zhao, X. (2009). Media use and global warming perceptions: A snapshot of the reinforcing spirals. Communication Research, 36(5), 698-723. Retrieve here.

Maibach, E., & Hornig Priest, S. (2009). No more "Business as Usual": Addressing climate change through constructive engagement. Science Communication, 30(3), 299-304. Retrieve here.

Nisbet, M. C., & Kotcher, J. E. (2009). A two-step flow of influence?: Opinion-leader campaigns on climate change. Science Communication, 30(3), 328-354. Retrieve here.

Bowman, T., Maibach, E., Mann, M., Moser, S., & Somerville, R. (2009) Creating a common climate language. (Letter) Science, 324: 36-37. Retrieve here.

Nisbet, M. C. (2009) Communicating climate change: Why frames matter for public engagement. Environment, (March-April). Retrieve here.

Maibach, E. (2009) This year in Copenhagen. (Editorial) International Journal of Sustainability Communication, 4, 1-4. Retrieve here.

Cai, X., Zhao, X., & Carey, G. (2009). Altruism and kid's perceptions of global warming. International Journal of Sustainability Communication, 4, 5-22. Retrieve here.

Brittle, C. & Muthuswamy, N. (2009). Scientific elites and concern for global warming: The impact of disagreement, evidence strength, partisan cues, and exposure to news content on concern for global warming. International Journal of Sustainability Communication, 4, 23-44. Retrieve here.

Maibach, E. W., Chadwick, A., McBride, D., Chuk, M. Ebi, K. L., et al. (2008). Climate change and local public health in the United States: Preparedness, programs and perceptions of local public health department directors. PLoS ONE, 3(7), e2838. Retrieve here.

Cavill, N., & Maibach, E. (2008). VERB^TM: Demonstrating a viable national option for promoting physical activity among our children. American Journal of PReventive Medicine, 34, S173-S174. Retrieve here.

Roser-Renouf, C.,& Nisbet, M. C. (2008). The measurement of key behavioral science constructs in climate change research. The International Journal of Sustainability Communication, 3, 37-95. Retrieve here.

Akerlof, K., & Maibach, E. W. (2008). "Sermons" as a climate change policy tool: Do they work? Evidence from the international community. Global Studies Review, 4(3), 4-6. Retrieve here.

Kreps, G., & Maibach, E. (2008). Transdisciplinary science: The nexus between communication and public health. Journal of Communication, 58, 732-48. Retrieve here.

Maibach, E., Roser-Renouf, C., & Leiserowitz, A. (2008). Communication and marketing as climate change intervention assets: A public health perspective. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 35(5), 488-500. Retrieve here.

Roser-Renouf, C., & Maibach, E. (in press). Communicating climate change. In S. Priest (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Science and Technology Communication. Retrieve here.

Abroms, L., & Maibach, E. (2008). The effectiveness of mass communication to change public behavior. Annual Review of Public Health, 29, 1-16. Retrieve here.

Handy, S., Sallis, J., Weber, D., Maibach, E., & Hollander, M. (2008) Is support for traditionally designed communities growing?: Evidence from two national surveys. Journal of the American Planning Association, 74, 209 – 221. Retrieve here.

Kyle, J. W., Hammitt, J. K., Lim, H. W., Geller, A. C., Hall-Jordan, L. H., Maibach, E. W., De Fabo, E. C., & Wagner, M. C. (2008) Economic evaluation of the US Environmental Protection Agency's SunWise program: Sun protection education for young children. Pediatrics, 121, e1074-e1084. Retrieve here.

Maibach, E., Abroms, L., & Marosits, M. (2007) Communication and marketing as tools to cultivate the public’s health: A proposed “people and places framework". BMC Public Health 7, 88. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-7-88. Retrieve here.

Director
Edward Maibach

Advisory board
William Novelli
Ronald Abramson
Robert Cialdini
Doug McKenzie-Mohr
Stuart Oskamp