Primary keyword: climate change acceptance definition. According to the PLoS One study (published August 25, 2026), researchers used a mixed-methods Delphi process to produce two consensus definitions of climate change acceptance specifically for undergraduate science students. This post explains the PLoS One findings (scope, sample sizes, dates), translates them for classroom and research decisions, and shows how AI-enabled qualitative research tools accelerate applying those definitions to interviews, open-ended surveys, and existing instruments.
Key Takeaways
According to the PLoS One study (published August 25, 2026), researchers used a Delphi method and four rounds of data collection to derive two defensible definitions of climate change acceptance for undergraduate science students (PLoS One).
- The Delphi team conducted a scoping review between October 2023 and February 2024 that screened 523 articles and extracted 3, 089 item-level measures, of which 2, 402 were unique (PLoS One, 2026).
- The Delphi recruitment ran from April 2024 through July 2025 and included iterative panels: 58 participants in Round 2 (December 2024), 26 respondents in Round 3 (February 2025), and 111 participants at a July 2025 conference (PLoS One, 2026).
- Across four rounds, experts split between two definitions: the Anthropogenic + Mechanistic Definition (e.g., “temperatures and greenhouse gases are increasing and humans are causing it”) and the simpler Anthropogenic Definition (e.g., “climate change is happening and human behaviors are causing it”), with each achieving majority support in different rounds (PLoS One, 2026).
- Practical implication: educators can choose the simpler definition for baseline acceptance measures or the mechanistic definition as a higher-level target for advanced students, per the Delphi authors (PLoS One, 2026).
What Happened and How the Delphi Process Worked
Answer: The PLoS One Delphi study synthesized 14 constructs from a prior scoping review, triangulated student pilot data, and then iteratively surveyed and interviewed educators to reach stable, consensus definitions (PLoS One, published August 25, 2026).
According to the PLoS One paper, the team first performed a scoping review between October 2023 and February 2024 that identified 523 relevant articles and extracted 3, 089 items measuring aspects of climate change acceptance, which informed a preliminary codebook of 14 constructs (PLoS One, 2026).
According to the PLoS One methods section, researchers then ran four rounds of educator interviews and surveys from April 2024 to July 2025, using frequency counts and thematic coding to move from 15 tentative definitions to two final, stable definitions (PLoS One, 2026).
The PLoS One results show quantitative shifts: in Round 2 (December 2024) 50.9% (n = 29) chose the detailed definition, in Round 3 (February 2025) 69% (n = 18) favored the detailed version, and in Round 4 (July 2025) 64% (n = 70) selected the simpler anthropogenic definition, revealing a bipolarity of expert opinion (PLoS One, 2026).
The authors report that this bipartite outcome led them to publish two complementary definitions appropriate for different educational contexts: the Anthropogenic Definition and the Anthropogenic + Mechanistic Definition (PLoS One, 2026).
Findings Snapshot
| Date | Metric | Value | Implication |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2023–Feb 2024 | Scoping review: articles screened | 523 articles; 3, 089 item-level measures; 2, 402 unique items | Provided the preliminary 14-construct framework used to draft candidate definitions (PLoS One, 2026). |
| Dec 2024 (Round 2) | Educator respondents | 58 participants; 50.9% (n = 29) chose detailed definition | Early majority favored the mechanistic definition, prompting refinement (PLoS One, 2026). |
| Feb 2025 (Round 3) | Round 3 respondents | 26 agreed; 69% (n = 18) selected Anthropogenic + Mechanistic | Mechanistic wording revised for clarity after qualitative feedback (PLoS One, 2026). |
| July 2025 (Round 4) | Final round respondents | 111 participants at a conference; 64% (n = 70) preferred the simpler Anthropogenic Definition | Stability and bipolarity justified publishing two definitions for different educational levels (PLoS One, 2026). |
| Aug 25, 2026 | Publication | PLoS One open-access article | Formal dissemination of two consensus definitions and guidance for educators and researchers (PLoS One, 2026). |
Implications for Postsecondary Science Educators and Researchers
Answer: Educators should align the chosen definition of climate change acceptance with course goals and student level, using the simpler Anthropogenic Definition for baseline measurement and the Anthropogenic + Mechanistic Definition for advanced outcomes (PLoS One, 2026).
The PLoS One authors explicitly recommend that instructors who expect students to master mechanistic knowledge (greenhouse gases and temperature trends) use the Anthropogenic + Mechanistic Definition as their working construct when selecting or designing instruments (PLoS One, 2026).
The PLoS One study cautions that existing public-facing instruments developed before a consensus definition may measure different constructs and therefore are not directly comparable without revalidation (PLoS One, 2026).
For researchers, the PLoS One team emphasizes content validity: the scoping review and Delphi coding produced a defensible content framework that should anchor future instrument development and cross-study synthesis (PLoS One, 2026).
Ethics note: These definitions are research and curriculum tools, not clinical or diagnostic measures; researchers should follow institutional review and data-protection standards when collecting student responses (PLoS One, 2026).
How Evidano Helps
Evidano: platform definition
Evidano is an AI-powered qualitative data analysis platform that helps researchers analyze interviews, open-ended surveys, and documents.
Problem: Large, unstandardized item pools (3, 089 items and 2, 402 unique items in the PLoS One scoping review) make instrument alignment and construct mapping time consuming (PLoS One, 2026).
Solution: Evidano automates thematic extraction and content-frequency mapping so teams can map existing survey items to the new consensus constructs quickly.
Learn more about core capabilities on the Evidano features page: Evidano features.
Problem: Mixed definitions across instruments → Feature: Thematic + cross-segment analysis
Answer: When instruments disagree on what they measure, Evidano’s thematic and cross-segment analyses reveal which items map to the Anthropogenic or Anthropogenic + Mechanistic constructs.
Supporting detail: Researchers can upload instrument item banks and use automated code suggestion, then validate or adjust codes with human-in-the-loop review to produce reproducible mappings.
Problem: Interview and open-text justification analysis → Feature: AI chat and transcript processing
Answer: For qualitative rationale like the educator quotes in PLoS One, Evidano transcribes audio, redacts PII, and extracts representative quotes so you can quantify thematic support for each definition.
Supporting detail: Use Evidano’s transcription pipeline and AI chat over documents to surface quotes such as an educator saying, "I chose this definition because it is the most comprehensive" for transparent coding decisions (PLoS One, 2026).
Explore speech tools: Evidano speech-to-text.
Problem: Revalidating existing scales → Feature: Frequency, co-occurrence, and hierarchical coding
Answer: Evidano computes frequency counts and co-occurrence networks that replicate the Delphi’s mixed-methods evidence approach, supporting content validity and instrument revision.
Supporting detail: Teams can generate tables that mirror the PLoS One snapshot approach, test how items load on the two definitions, and prepare psychometric follow-ups.
FAQ: climate change acceptance definition
What are the two definitions of climate change acceptance the Delphi produced?
Answer: The Delphi produced two definitions: the Anthropogenic Definition and the Anthropogenic + Mechanistic Definition (PLoS One, Aug 25, 2026).
Supporting detail: The Anthropogenic Definition states that 'climate change is happening and human behaviors are causing it, ' while the Anthropogenic + Mechanistic Definition adds that 'average temperatures and greenhouse gases are increasing globally' to the definition, per the PLoS One article (2026).
How should an educator choose which definition to use in a course?
Answer: Choose the simpler Anthropogenic Definition for baseline or incoming-student assessments and the Anthropogenic + Mechanistic Definition for advanced students or courses that require mechanistic understanding (PLoS One, 2026).
Supporting detail: The PLoS One Delphi team reports that some educators favored simplicity for clarity, while others favored inclusion of mechanisms for scientific precision, and both choices are defensible depending on learning goals (PLoS One, 2026).
Can existing survey instruments be revalidated to these definitions?
Answer: Yes, researchers should map existing items to the two consensus definitions and then revalidate instruments for content validity as recommended by the PLoS One authors (PLoS One, 2026).
Supporting detail: The PLoS One paper warns that previously published instruments lack a unifying definition, so revalidation, including thematic mapping and psychometric testing, is necessary before cross-study synthesis (PLoS One, 2026).
Can AI-enabled qualitative platforms like Evidano speed up applying these definitions?
Answer: Yes, AI-enabled qualitative platforms accelerate mapping, quote extraction, and frequency analysis so researchers reach defensible construct alignments faster.
Supporting detail: Evidano supports transcription, thematic extraction, cross-segment analysis, and AI chat over documents to operationalize the Delphi constructs and provide reproducible outputs for instrument development.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Answer: The PLoS One Delphi study (published August 25, 2026) produces two operational definitions of climate change acceptance for undergraduate science students, choose the version that matches your educational or research target (PLoS One, 2026).
Researchers should map and revalidate existing instruments against these definitions before pooling or comparing results, as the PLoS One authors recommend (PLoS One, 2026).
If you need to operationalize either definition across interviews, open-text surveys, or item banks, AI-enabled qualitative analysis can cut weeks of coding work into days and produce transparent, citable outputs.
Get started and map your data to the new consensus definitions today: Try Evidano for free.
Topics
- climate change acceptance definition
- climate change acceptance undergraduate
- Delphi study climate acceptance
- qualitative analysis climate education
Keep reading
- Commentary on NewsTwo Consensus Definitions: climate change acceptance definitionSummarizes the PLOS One Delphi study (published Aug 25, 2026) that produced two climate change acceptance definitions and shows AI-enabled qualitative methods to measure them.
- Commentary on NewsConsensus definitions: climate change acceptance definitionPLoS One (Aug 25, 2026) presents two consensus climate change acceptance definitions for undergraduates; see stats and how AI qualitative analysis accelerates survey design.
- Commentary on NewsDelphi to Data: AI-enabled Qualitative ResearchApply AI-enabled qualitative research to Delphi studies: practical steps from the PLOS One 2026 climate acceptance study for faster coding, synthesis, and reproducible definitions.