My work combines perspectives from social, environmental, health, and positive psychology. I am broadly interested in the interrelation between human behavior, the environment (i.e., nature, social environments), and human wellness: how people interact with their environments and how environments influence human perception, beliefs, behaviors, and health. As an educator and researcher, my goal is to support people’s connection to themselves, others, and their environments (e.g., communities, home, school, the land). My research focuses on the following:
The Social Psychology of Environmentalism: Understanding the personal, social, and cultural factors that shape people’s response to environmental issues, and how programs and communicators can leverage this knowledge to promote environmental concern and action (e.g., consumer behavior, political engagement, local community engagement).
Environmental Communication: Understanding the impact of evidence-based communication strategies on the environmental views of diverse audience segments, and which strategies are most/least effective in engaging diverse audiences and instilling long-term change.
Environmental Stress and Experiences with Nature: Understanding the environmental stressors that contribute to health challenges in youth and adults, and the extent to which experiences with the natural world (e.g., awe walks, mindfulness in nature, gardening) can protect against stress, support mental health and self-care, and promote deeper connections to people and place. I am especially interested in the effect of community-based nature programs on populations vulnerable to environmental stress (e.g., LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, low-income, people with trauma or disabilities).
PUBLICATIONS & PRINTS
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Ballew, M., Marlon, J., Carman, J., Verner, M., Lee, S., Myers, T., & Goldberg, M. (2023). Global Warming’s Six Americas, December 2022. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Carman, J., Verner, M., Lee, S., Ballew, M., Uppalapati, S., Campbell, E., Myers, T., Goldberg, M., & Marlon, J. (2023). Climate Change in the American Mind: Beliefs & Attitudes, December 2022. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Carman, J., Lee, S., Verner, M., Ballew, M., Ansah, P., Badullovich, N., Myers, T., Goldberg, M., & Marlon, J. (2023). Climate Change in the American Mind: Politics & Policy, December 2022. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Ballew M. T., Marlon, J. R., Goldberg, M. H., Maibach, E. W., Rosenthal, S. A., Aiken, E., & Leiserowitz, A. (2022). Changing minds about global warming: Vicarious experience predicts self-reported opinion change in the USA. Climatic Change. doi: 10.1007/s10584-022-03397-w
Marlon, J., Rosenthal, S., Goldberg, M., Ballew, M., Maibach, E., Kotcher, J., Leiserowitz, A. (2022). Younger Americans are growing more worried about global warming. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Ballew, M. T., Pearson, A. R., Schuldt, J. P., Kotcher, J. E., Maibach, E. W., Rosenthal, A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2021). Is the political divide on climate change narrower for people of color? Evidence from a decade of US polling. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 77, 101680. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2021.101680
Sabherwal, A., Ballew, M. T., van der Linden, S., Gustafson, A., Goldberg, M. H., Maibach, E. W., Kotcher, J. E., Swim, J. K., Rosenthal, S. A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2021). The Greta Thunberg effect: Familiarity with Greta Thunberg predicts intentions to engage in climate activism in the United States. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. doi: 10.1111/jasp.12737
Ballew, M., Bergquist, P., Goldberg, M., Gustafson, A., Kotcher, J., Marlon, J., Roess, A., Rosenthal, S., Maibach, E., & Leiserowitz, A. (2020). American Public Responses to COVID-19, April 2020. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Ballew, M., Bergquist, P., Goldberg, M., Gustafson, A., Kotcher, J., Marlon, J., Roess, A., Rosenthal, S., Maibach, E., & Leiserowitz, A. (2020). Americans’ Risk Perceptions and Emotional Responses to COVID-19, April 2020. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Ballew, M., Maibach, E., Kotcher, J., Bergquist, P., Rosenthal, S., Marlon, J., and Leiserowitz, A. (2020). Which racial/ethnic groups care most about climate change?. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Ballew, M., Marlon, J., Kotcher, J., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Bergquist, P., Gustafson, A., Goldberg, M., & Leiserowitz, A. (2020). Young adults, across party lines, are more willing to take climate action. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Ballew, M. T., Pearson, A. R., Goldberg, M. H., Rosenthal, S. A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2020). Does socioeconomic status moderate the political divide on climate change? The roles of education, income, and individualism. Global Environmental Change, 60, 102024. doi: 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2019.102024
Ballew, M. T., Rosenthal, S. A., Goldberg, M. H., Gustafson, A., Kotcher, J. K., Maibach, E. W., & Leiserowitz, A. (2020). Beliefs about others’ global warming beliefs: The role of party affiliation and opinion deviance. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 70, 101466. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101466
Goldberg, M. H., Gustafson, A., Ballew, M. T., Rosenthal, S. A., Cutler, M. J., & Leiserowitz, A. (2020). Predictors of global warming risk perceptions among Latino and non-Latino White Americans. Climatic Change, 1-20. doi: 10.1007/s10584-020-02728-z
Goldberg, M., Gustafson, A., Maibach, E., Ballew, M. T., Bergquist, P., Kotcher, J., … & Leiserowitz, A. (2020). Mask-wearing increases after a government recommendation: A natural experiment in the US during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Communication. doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2020.00044
Gustafson, A., Ballew, M. T., Goldberg, M. H., Cutler, M. J., Rosenthal, S. A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2020). Personal stories can shift climate change beliefs and risk perceptions: The mediating role of emotion. Communication Reports, 1-15. doi: 10.1080/08934215.2020.1799049
Gustafson, A., Goldberg, M. H., Kotcher, J. E., Rosenthal, S. A., Maibach, E. W., Ballew, M. T., & Leiserowitz, A. (2020). Republicans and Democrats differ in why they support renewable energy. Energy Policy, 141. doi: 10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111448
Leiserowitz, A., Ballew, M., Rosenthal S., & Semaan, J. (2020). Climate change and the American diet. Yale University and Earth Day Network. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Ballew, M., Bergquist, P., Gustafson, A., Goldberg, M., & Wang, X. (2020). Politics & Global Warming, April 2020. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Bergquist, P., Ballew, M., Goldberg, M., Gustafson, A., & Wang, X. (2020). Climate Change in the American Mind: April 2020. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Marlon, J., Ballew, M., Bergquist, P., Goldberg, M., Gustafson, A., Kotcher, J., Rosenthal, S., & Maibach, E. (2020). Do Americans support voting by mail to limit the spread of coronavirus infections? New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Marlon, J., Maibach, E., Ballew, M., Bergquist, P., Goldberg, M., Gustafson, A., Kotcher, J., Rosenthal, S., Wang, X., & Leiserowitz, A. (2020). Who do Americans trust most for information about COVID-19?. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
(2020) Environmental literature as persuasion: An experimental test of the effects of reading climate fiction, Environmental Communication. doi: 10.1080/17524032.2020.1814377
Song, H., Lewis Jr, N. A., Ballew, M. T., Bravo, M., Davydova, J., Gao, H. O., … & Romero-Canyas, R. (2020). What counts as an “environmental” issue? Differences in issue conceptualization by race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 101404. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2020.101404
Ballew, M. T., Goldberg, M. H., Rosenthal, S. A., Gustafson, A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2019). Systems thinking as a pathway to global warming beliefs and attitudes through an ecological worldview. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1819310116
Ballew, M. T., Goldberg, M. H., Rosenthal, S. A., Cutler, M. J., & Leiserowitz, A. (2019). Climate change activism among Latino and White Americans. Frontiers in Communication, 3. doi: 10.3389/fcomm.2018.00058
Ballew, M., Gustafson, A., Bergquist, P., Goldberg, M., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Maibach, E., & Leiserowitz, A. (2019). Americans underestimate how many others in the U.S. think global warming is happening. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Ballew, M. T., Leiserowitz, A., Roser-Renouf, C., Rosenthal, S. A., Kotcher, J. E., Marlon, J. R., Lyon, E., Goldberg, M. H., & Maibach, E. W. (2019). Climate Change in the American Mind: Data, tools, and trends. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 61, 4-18. doi: 10.1080/00139157.2019.1589300
Ballew, M., Marlon, J., Rosenthal, S., Gustafson, A., Kotcher, J., Maibach, E., & Leiserowitz, A. (2019). Do younger generations care more about global warming? Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Goldberg, M. H., Gustafson, A., Ballew, M. T., Rosenthal, S. A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2019). A social identity approach to engaging Christians in the issue of climate change. Science Communication, 1-22. doi: 10.1177/1075547019860847.
Goldberg, M. H., van der Linden, S., Ballew, M. T., Rosenthal, S. A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2019). The role of anchoring in judgments about expert consensus. Journal of Applied Social Psychology. doi: 10.1111/jasp.12576.
Gustafson, A., Rosenthal, S. A., Ballew, M. T., Goldberg, M. H., Bergquist, P., Kotcher, J. E., Maibach, E. W., & Leiserowitz, A. (2019). The development of partisan polarization over the Green New Deal. Nature Climate Change. doi: 10.1038/s41558-019-0621-7
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Bergquist, P., Gustafson, A., Ballew, M., & Goldberg, M. (2019). Climate Activism: Beliefs, Attitudes, and Behaviors, November 2019. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Bergquist, P., Ballew, M., Goldberg, M., & Gustafson, A. (2019). Climate Change in the American Mind: November 2019. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Bergquist, P., Gustafson, A., Ballew, M., & Goldberg, M. (2019). Politics & Global Warming, November 2019. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Ballew, M., Goldberg, M., Gustafson, A., & Bergquist, P. (2019). Politics & Global Warming, April 2019. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. doi: 10.17605/OSF.IO/NBJGS.
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Bergquist, P., Ballew, M., Goldberg, M., & Gustafson, A. (2019). Climate Change in the American Mind: April 2019. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. doi: 10.17605/OSF.IO/CJ2NS.
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Gustafson, A., Bergquist, P., Ballew, M., & Goldberg, M. (2019). Energy in the American Mind, December 2018. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. doi: 10.17605/OSF.IO/BDQ25
Marlon, J., Wang, X., Gustafson, A., Ballew, M., Goldberg, M., Rosenthal, S., Leiserowitz, A. (2019) Majority of Americans think fossil fuel companies are responsible for the damages caused by global warming. Yale University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. Available here.
Pearson, A. R., & Ballew, M. T. (2019). Conservation and the environment. In. M. A. Hogg (Ed.), Oxford research encyclopedia of psychology. New York: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190236557.013.289
Ballew, M. T., & Crohn, K. (2018). Understanding emotions and behavior: Implications for evaluation design. AEA365: A Tip-a-Day by and for Evaluators. Available here.
Ballew, M., Marlon, J., Leiserowitz, A., & Maibach, E. (2018). Gender differences in public understanding of climate change. Yale University, New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Ballew, M., Marlon, J., Wang, X., Leiserowitz, A., & Maibach, E. (2018). Importance of global warming as a voting issue in the U.S. depends on where people live and what people have experienced. Yale University, New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Ballew, M., Marlon, J., Maibach, E., Gustafson, A., Goldberg, M., & Leiserowitz, A. (2018). Americans are more worried about global warming, and show signs of losing hope. Yale University, New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Ballew, M. T., & Omoto, A. M. (2018). Absorption: How nature experiences promote awe and other positive emotions. Ecopsychology, 10, 26-35. doi: 10.1089/eco.2017.0044
Bruni, C. M., Ballew, M. T., Winter, P. L., & Omoto, A. M. (2018). Natural history museums may enhance youth’s implicit connectedness with nature. Ecopsychology, 10, 1-9. doi: 10.1089/eco.2018.0025
Davydova, J., Pearson, A. R., Ballew, M. T., & Schuldt, J. P. (2018). Illuminating the link between perceived threat and control over climate change: The role of attributions for causation and mitigation. Climatic Change, 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s10584-018-2181-7
Gustafson, A., Rosenthal, S., Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Kotcher, J., Ballew, M., & Goldberg, M. (2018). The Green New Deal has strong bipartisan support. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Pearson, A. R., Schuldt, J. P., Romero-Canyas, R., Ballew, M. T., & Larson-Konar, D. (2018). Diverse segments of the US public underestimate the environmental concerns of minority and low-income Americans. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 1-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1804698115
Leiserowitz, A., Maibach, E., Rosenthal, S., Kotcher, J., Ballew, M., Goldberg, M., & Gustafson, A. (2018). Climate change in the American mind: December 2018. Yale University and George Mason University. New Haven, CT: Yale Program on Climate Change Communication. Available here.
Omoto, A. M., Packard, C. D., & Ballew, M. T. (2018). Personality and volunteerism. In B. J. Carducci, J. S. Mio, & R. E. Riggio (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell encyclopedia of personality and individual differences: Vol. IV. Clinical, applied, and cross-cultural research. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.
Pearson, A. R., Ballew, M. T., Naiman, S., & Schuldt, J. P. (2017). Race, class, and gender and climate change communication. In M. C. Nisbet & E. Markowitz (Eds.), The Oxford encyclopedia of climate change communication. New York: Oxford University Press. doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190228620.013.412
Ballew, M. T., Omoto, A. M., & Winter, P. L. (2015). Using Web 2.0 and social media technologies to foster proenvironmental action. Sustainability, 7, 10620-10648. doi: 10.3390/su70810620
PRESENTATIONS & PANELS
Douglas, J., Tanner, R., & Ballew, M. T. (2021, November). Engaging the world: Environmental justice – Making a difference. Invited panel speaker at Wilkinson College of Chapman University.
Ballew, M. T. (2021, February). The political culture of climate change denialism. Invited panel speaker at the Sustainability Preconference at the virtual annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP).
Ballew, M. T., Pearson, A. R., Goldberg, M. H., Rosenthal, S. A., & Leiserowitz, A. (2020, February). Does social class moderate the political divide on climate change? The roles of education, income, and individualism. Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), New Orleans, Louisiana.
Ballew, M. T., Leiserowitz, A., Roser-Renouf, C., Rosenthal, S. A., Kotcher, J. E., Marlon, J. R., Lyon, E., Goldberg, M. H., & Maibach, E. W. (2019, May). Climate Change in the American Mind: Data, tools, and trends. American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), Toronto, Canada.
Ballew, M. T., Goldberg, M. H., Rosenthal, S. A., Gustafson, A., & Leiserowitz, A. (April, 2019). Systems thinking as a pathway to global warming beliefs and attitudes through an ecological worldview. Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies (F&ES) Research Day, New Haven, Connecticut.
Ballew, M. T., Goldberg, M. H., Rosenthal, S. A., Gustafson, A., & Leiserowitz, A. (February, 2019). Systems thinking as a pathway to global warming beliefs and attitudes through an ecological worldview. Sustainability Preconference at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), Portland, Oregon.
Davydova, J., Pearson, A. R., Ballew, M. T., Schuldt, J. P. (2018, March). Illuminating the link between perceived threat and control over climate change: The role of attributions for causation and mitigation. Sustainability Preconference at the annual meeting of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology (SPSP), Atlanta, Georgia.
Winter, P. L., Ballew, M. T., Dear, S., Omoto, A. M., & Bruni, C. M. (2017, August). Does a visit to a natural history museum enhance youths’ connectedness with nature? Poster presentation at the 125th convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.
Ballew, M. T., & Omoto, A. M. (2015, June). Experiences with nature, interconnectedness, and prosociality. Invited oral presentation at Seizing an Alternative: Toward an Ecological Civilization, Claremont, California.
Ballew, M. T., Bruni, C. M., & Crawford, M. (2015, April). Using Web 2.0 and social media technologies to foster proenvironmental action. In P. L. Winter (Chair), Intersections between Environmental Engagement, Technologies, and Connections to Nature. Symposium conducted at the Annual Western Psychological Association Convention, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Ballew, M. T., & Omoto, A. M., (2014, July). Purpose in life mediates the relationship between volunteering and positive aging. Oral presentation at the European Conference on Positive Psychology, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Ballew, M. T., & Omoto, A. M. (2014, June). Pathways to positive aging: Volunteerism and purpose in life. Oral presentation at the Biennial SPSSI Conference, Portland, Oregon.
Ballew, M. T. (2014, September). Long-term planning: What you need to do when to graduate on time. Invited Psi Chi panelist at Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, California.
Matthew Ballew 