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Hope boosts climate problem-solving, new experiments suggest

Phys · · 518 words · By Jane Icke
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What to know about Hope boosts climate problem-solving, new experiments suggest

Researchers from the University of Nottingham conducted two studies to examine the impact of positive and negative emotions on climate-related problem solving. The findings suggest that messages inspiring hope can increase 'climate creativity' and potentially lead to more sustainable long-term behavior change compared to fear-based messaging.

Propaganda risk 10%
Claims checked 7
Techniques found 0
Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center80%
Right20%

5 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Hope boosts climate problem-solving, new experiments suggest Lisa Lock Scientific Editor Andrew Zinin Lead Editor A new study has shown that messages of hope can be effective in promoting creative problem-solving around sustainability.

Why it matters

Experts from the University of Nottingham's School of Psychology developed a new measure of climate creativity that indicates that positive emotions have a different effect to negative emotions in promoting problem solving in undertaking climate action.

Common ground

The study has been published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Researchers from the University of Nottingham conducted two studies to examine the impact of positive and negative emotions on climate-related problem solving. The findings suggest that messages inspiring hope can increase 'climate creativity' and potentially lead to more sustainable long-term behavior change compared to fear-based messaging.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-boosts-climate-problem.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%
Propaganda Score
confidence: 95%
Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 7 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5
verified Verified By Reference 2
verified
Claim 1: “The study has been published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Multiple web search results explicitly state that the study has been published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Environmental psychology is a branch of psychology that explores the relationship between humans and the external world. It examines the way in which the natural- and our built environments shape us a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Environmental_psychology
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Journal of Environmental Psychology is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Elsevier. Its founding editors were David Canter (University of Liverpool) and Kenneth Craik (University of Ca…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journal_of_Environmental_Psych…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — This list presents a selection of journals in the field of psychology and its branches.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_psychology_journals
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 2: “The results of the study indicate that inspiring hope in climate change is related to increased levels of creativity, and specifically climate creativity.”
CORROBORATED
The evidence explicitly states that 'Study 2 examined whether the induction of hope would increase climate creativity' and that 'Hope can inspire climate creativity for action'.
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web search NEUTRAL — H represents participants’ climate change hope levels.This suggests that students generally perceived themselves as well-informed about action possibilities regarding climate change. The ceiling effec…
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10956-025-10229-w
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web search NEUTRAL — Climate change is one of the most significant issues of today. This study aims to investigate climate change awareness, anxiety, and hope levels among university students who participate in activities…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12672313/
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web search NEUTRAL — There is reason to hope that humanity can find and implement solutions to reverse our climate change. In our quest to lower carbon dioxide emissions and their devastating effects, we have reason to re…
https://www.everystudent.com/podcasts/climate-change.html
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Claim 3: “A new study has shown that messages of hope can be effective in promoting creative problem-solving around sustainability.”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results explicitly mention a new study where the induction of hope increases climate creativity and that hope can inspire climate creativity for action.
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web search NEUTRAL — 18 Co-Creation for Sustainability. action. Together, these factors justify high hopes regarding the prospects for engaging local actors in the promotion of economic, social, and environmental sustaina…
https://library.oapen.org/bitstream/handle/20.500.12657/5805…
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web search NEUTRAL — Creative problem-solving is an important cognitive competency that impacts the expansion and survival of SMEs. Very few studies in South Africa investigated the longevity of SME where creative problem…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328948182_Creative_…
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web search NEUTRAL — Inspirational messages of hope to encourage and empower you or your loved ones. Send these words of encouragement to that person who is having a bad day.
https://www.wishesmsg.com/inspirational-hope-messages-quotes…
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Claim 4: “A. Spence et al, Climate Creativity for Action: Conceptual Development and the Catalytic Effect of Hope, Journal of Environmental Psychology (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2026.103075”
CORROBORATED
The title 'Climate Creativity for Action: Conceptual Development and the Catalytic Effect of Hope' and the publication 'Journal of Environmental Psychology' are confirmed. While the snippet mentions 'May 12, 2026' (likely a future publication date or advance access), it aligns with the claim's specific citation details.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Perspective-taking is the act of perceiving a situation or understanding a concept from an alternative point of view, such as that of another individual. A vast amount of scientific literature suggest…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perspective-taking
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Creativity is the ability to generate novel and valuable ideas or works through the exercise of imagination. The products of creativity may be classified as either intangible or physical. Intangible p…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Creativity techniques are methods that encourage creative actions, whether in the arts or sciences. They focus on a variety of aspects of creativity, including techniques for idea generation and diver…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creativity_techniques
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 5: “Professor Alexa Spence led the study”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources identify Professor Alexa Spence from the University of Nottingham as the leader of the study.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Doctor of Education (Ed.D or DEd; Latin Educationis Doctor or Doctor Educationis) is a research doctorate or professional doctorate in the field of education. It prepares the holder for academic, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_of_Education
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — James Burrill Angell (January 7, 1829 – April 1, 1916) was an American educator and diplomat. He is best known for being the longest-serving president of the University of Michigan, from 1871 to 1909.…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Burrill_Angell
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Motion Picture & Television Fund (MPTF) is a charitable organization that offers assistance and care to those in the motion picture and television industries and their families with limited or no …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motion_Picture_&_Television_Fu…
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 6: “The researchers undertook two studies, with 160 participants and 334 participants respectively”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
While the study exists, the provided evidence snippets do not mention the specific participant counts (160 and 334). The search results for '160' and '334' returned unrelated information about ResearchGate and helicopters.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The DF Helicopters DF334 is a two-seat, single-engine light utility helicopter in development by Dragon Fly Helicopters in Northern Italy. The DF 334 is a development of the Dragon Fly 333, developed …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DF_Helicopters_DF334
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Embraer S.A. (Brazilian Portuguese pronunciation: [ẽbɾaˈɛʁ]) is a Brazilian multinational aerospace corporation. It develops and manufactures aircraft and aviation systems, and provides leasing, equip…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embraer
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — As of Unicode version 17.0, there are 297,334 assigned characters with code points, covering 172 modern and historical scripts, as well as multiple symbol sets. As it is not technically possible to li…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Unicode_characters
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 7: “Experts from the University of Nottingham's School of Psychology developed a new measure of climate creativity”
CORROBORATED
The evidence confirms Professor Alexa Spence is associated with the University of Nottingham and that a study on 'Climate Creativity for Action' was conducted, which involved the conceptual development of a measure for climate creativity.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — William Nottingham High School is a public high school located at 3100 East Genesee Street in Syracuse, New York. Part of the Syracuse City School District, the high school has an enrollment of about …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nottingham_High_School_(New_Yo…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Nottingham Trent University (NTU) is a public research university located in Nottingham, England, which lies along the River Trent. Its origins date back to the establishment of the Nottingham Governm…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nottingham_Trent_University
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The University of Nottingham is a public research university in Nottingham, England. It was founded as University College Nottingham in 1881, and was granted a royal charter as a university in 1948. N…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Nottingham
+ 3 more evidence sources
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.