A Study on the Interplay of Personal Experiences, Cultural Values, and Professional Expertise in Shaping Responses to Environmental Claims

This study investigates how three key factors—personal experiences, cultural values, and professional expertise—shape individuals' responses to environmental claims in the digital age. Through semi-structured interviews with more than 100 diverse participants at the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), including climate scientists, policymakers, environmental activists, and the general public, the research explores how these elements interact in the interpretation of environmental information.

Key findings reveal the following:

1. Personal experiences of local environmental changes (e.g., droughts, floods) often intensified engagement with climate information, but interpretation was strongly mediated by cultural perspectives. For example, participants from drought-prone regions expressed higher concern, though their proposed solutions differed depending on cultural contexts.
2. Cultural values shaped not only the perceived urgency of environmental issues but also the preferred solutions. Interviewees identified as part of collectivist cultures (based on family or community-oriented values) leaned towards community-based interventions, while those from individualistic cultures (focusing on autonomy and personal choice) emphasized technological or individual-level solutions.
3. Professional expertise, while enhancing the ability to detect misinformation, sometimes reinforced pre-existing cultural biases. Climate scientists and policymakers from various cultural backgrounds often prioritized research and policy agendas aligned with their cultural frameworks, showing that professional identity did not always mitigate cultural influences.

Across all groups, exposure to diverse opinions on social media contributed to a complex information landscape, where both personal experiences and cultural values significantly influenced which expert opinions were deemed credible.

These findings underscore the nuanced process by which individuals interpret environmental information, highlighting the need for communication strategies that address the interplay of personal, cultural, and professional factors in shaping responses to environmental claims.