How Science Belief Drives Climate Change Misinformation Correction Via Threat and Efficacy: A Multigroup Comparison Across Self-Construal Levels

Abstract

This study investigates how science belief enhances perceived threat and efficacy, which affect four types of corrective behaviors: public correction, private correction, verification, and refutation. A total of 1,392 participants in China completed a survey for this study. Results indicate that science belief significantly predicts both perceived threat and efficacy, which subsequently elicit the four correction behaviors. Multigroup analysis further revealed that the proposed science belief model varies by levels of interdependent self-construal. Among individuals with high interdependence, science belief exerted a stronger influence on perceived threat and efficacy, and efficacy more strongly predicted public correction and refutation behaviors.