About the project
The aim of the project is to map out the psychological processes underlying people's global attitudes towards onshore wind and nuclear power. The empirical data used come from several surveys of nationally representative samples of adult Norwegians, recruited from the Gallup panel (the number of respondents is approximately 1000 in each survey). The attitudes are studied in light of three main theoretical perspectives: the Causal Attitude Network (CAN) model; the theory of attitudinal ambivalence; and David Goodhart's model of political and cultural polarization in modern society.
Objectives
The goal of the project is to establish knowledge about the underlying psychological processes that drive global attitudes towards wind and nuclear power.
Background
The background for the project is that climate change demands innovative solutions and a transition to renewable energy, including wind and solar power as well as nuclear power, as emphasized in the IPCC's 2023 report and supported by international agencies (Calvin et al., 2023; European Commission, 2023; IEA, 2023). Understanding the population's attitudes towards wind and nuclear power is essential because these will influence the political scope for action, and thereby energy policy. Knowledge about the anatomy of attitudes is also important for achieving effective communication and reduced polarization.