CMU-Q professor contributes to award-winning global climate study

DOHA, QATAR – Jocelyn Bélanger, associate teaching professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), is a co-author on a landmark study recently awarded the 2025 Robert B. Cialdini Prize by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP).

The paper, titled “Addressing Climate Change with Behavioral Science: A Global Intervention Tournament in 63 Countries,” was a massive international collaboration involving more than 250 researchers from around the world.

The Cialdini Prize is considered one of the field’s highest honors, recognizing research that demonstrates high relevance to real-world communities. The study’s findings revealed that while some messages generate social media buzz, they can often suppress tangible action. Conversely, the team found that reducing the psychological distance of climate change was highly effective at strengthening beliefs.