Climate Attitudes, Mitigation Policy Acceptance, and Information in Groups and Networks (CAMPAIGN)

The core design is a 2 × 2 between-subjects framework that randomizes participants along two dimensions: (i) whether they are exposed to a video explaining the functioning of carbon taxation, and (ii) whether a peer nominated by the participant is invited to take part in a separate survey in which they are exposed to the same informational video. The primary analysis centers on this 2 × 2 structure. However, to account for heterogeneity in content delivery, we extend the design to a 2 × 3 setup by distinguishing between two versions of the informational video – a standard format and a more interactive one, building on the example of more interactive information campaigns from the most recent times.

2026-02-12

2026-12-31

Understanding of and support for carbon taxes for original respondents (on impact and over time) and for peers, donation to one of three environmental organizations (donation and amount donated as outcome, not the choice of the environmental organization).

We consider an often unpopular policy that experts consider socially desirable, provide information about its functioning, and examine causally how providing information to peers (in isolation or in combination to information to the original respondents) influence opinions and support for such policy.

We examine several secondary outcomes aimed at capturing beliefs about the carbon tax and dividend’s environmental, competitiveness, and distributional effects, its impact on respondents’ own households, and perceptions of fairness.

These secondary outcomes are of intrinsic interest for understanding how the treatments influence these beliefs, allowing for mediation analysis to explore the mechanisms through which the intervention may shape support for a carbon tax and dividend.

Our survey experiment is designed as follows. We first recruit our original respondents, who then may share contact information of a peer. This setting allows us to implement a 2 × 2 between-subject design, where we vary whether the original respondents are exposed to our informational video and whether the peer is invited to take part in a separate survey in which they are exposed to the same informational video. The informational video is provided in two versions, one of which includes a quiz to stimulate recipients to think carefully about the information received. In this way, we can also assess the impact of a more pedagogical, less passive approach to information campaigns. When doing so, we essentially implement a 2 × 3 between-subject design, where we additionally vary whether original respondents are shown the informational video in the standard passive version or in a more interactive one that quizzes the respondent through the watch. As outcomes, we measure understanding of and support for carbon taxes for original respondents, on impact as well as over time, and of peers, on impact.

Not available

Randomization done in the office by a professional survey company.

Randomization occurs at the level of the original respondent.

No

Please refer to the full pre-analysis plan available at https://osf.io/7jftx/overview for additional details.

Please refer to the full pre-analysis plan available at https://osf.io/7jftx/overview for additional details.

Please refer to the full pre-analysis plan available at https://osf.io/7jftx/overview for additional details.

Please refer to the full pre-analysis plan available at https://osf.io/7jftx/overview for additional details.