Taking a stance on the role of nuclear energy to combat the climate crisis: how communication task and expert’s personal stance impact individuals' intellectual humility and strategies for dealing with a complex topic

Objective We investigated how individuals deal with the limits of their own knowledge and productively cope dependence on experts as they engage socio-scientific topic nuclear energy. scrutinized effects content features an interview text individuals’ communicative engagement information read.Method In a 2 × factorial design study (N = 273), adult participants opposing energy read online geophysicist. The same factual was presented, but geophysicist either took stance for decommissioning plants or no stance. After reading, were instructed to communicate position in informative persuasive manner. Dependent measures evaluated participants’ intellectual humility, strategies, perceived easiness simple solution, willingness act written arguments.Results Expert taking led lower higher solution stronger against Having goal persuading resulted offering more one-sided arguments. Strategies not significantly influenced by independent factors.Conclusions contrasting effect humility is discussed from perspective climate-oriented action science education.