Addressing the climate change adaptation puzzle: a psychological science perspective

Unlike climate change mitigation, adaptation to climate change does not as much suffer from the fundamental global public good problem – at least at the country-level – since it is in the self-interest of each individual country to adapt. However, the observed level of adaptation is insufficient from an economic perspective. We address this puzzle by adding a psychological perspective to explain actors’ behaviour. Based on existing meta-analytic evidence we discuss micro- (i.e. individual-), meso- (i.e. group-) and macro- (i.e. society-) level factors that may contribute to more engagement in adaptation and provide recommendations on how to address them. The results show that the strongest predictors of individual adaptation behaviour are people's beliefs whether adaptive actions will be effective in protecting them from climate-related hazards (outcome expectancy), the degree to which people believe that they are able to engage in adaptive actions (self-efficacy) and their emotional reaction to climate change. Equally strong on a meso-level are behavioural norms and cultural aspects on a macro-level. We recommend that decision-makers create more transparency about the cause–effect chain between adaptation activity and desired adaptation effects to strengthen individuals’ sense of efficacy. Furthermore, inducing reflection on social norms through communicative interventions may contribute to motivate adaptive actions by individuals and organisations. Key policy insights Psychological factors play an important but underestimated role in explaining adaptation behaviour. If people believe that they can address the risks of climate-related hazards they will show stronger adaptation behaviour. This insight can be used to incentivise more investments in adaptation. Social norms and cultural values are linked to adaptation behaviour. Public communication campaigns and other policy interventions can help to change social norms, and they should be tailored to the cultural values of societies. The influence of social norms and cultural values can be stronger than individual-level variables such as beliefs and preferences. People underestimate the extent to which others are willing to contribute to society, in particular in societies scoring high on individualism and masculinity. This can prevent people from investing in adaptation.