Does audience motive matter? Understanding social endorsement effects in correcting climate change misbeliefs

This study explores how social endorsement effects are conditioned by audience motives in correcting misbeliefs and promoting pro-climate policy support. In a 2 (social endorsement: low vs. high) × 3 (motive: accuracy vs. impression vs. control) between-subjects experiment with 374 participants skeptical of anthropogenic climate change, high social endorsement cues (likes, comments, and shares) reduced pro-climate policy support in no-motive control condition. However, when participants were primed to seek accurate information, social endorsement positively influenced pro-climate policy support. This effect was explained by normative perceptions, supportive arguments, and message persuasiveness. Participants primed to focus on social impressions indicated greater policy support responding to high social endorsement than the no-motive control. Yet, within the impression-motive condition, high and low social endorsement did not make a significant difference. The study advances understanding of social endorsement effects, offering practical suggestions for combatting climate change misbeliefs.