Date of Award

May 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Earth System Science & Policy

First Advisor

Rebecca Romsdahl

Abstract

This dissertation examined how environmental frames—particularly “Mother Earth” and “Mother Nature”—influence public support for climate policy and how these effects differ across demographic groups. Using a mixed-methods explanatory sequential design, the study executed a media survey experiment (N = 470) followed by semi-structured expert interviews to assess responses to two primes using a conventional corporate media message, and a message with similar content that was generated by Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Quantitative findings showed that these metaphors generated uneven and sometimes divergent priming effects. Some groups—most notably White male Republicans—reported higher support for environmental policy under the conventional media prime. Under the same conventional prime, other demographic groups expressed ambivalence or reduced engagement likely tied to representational fatigue or stereotype activation. Qualitative interviews contextualized these patterns by highlighting the challenges science communicators face creating resonance, especially in crafting messages in an environment where AI plays a growing role in shaping public narratives.

As a theoretical contribution, this research introduces a Resonance Consistency Framework. The framework explains how identity cueing and interpretive anchoring interact to shape whether a message produces shared, stable policy meaning—or divergent, audience-specific readings. Overall, the findings demonstrate that gendered environmental metaphors remain powerful but uneven tools in climate communication, offering guidance for communicators and policymakers seeking to design messages that better anticipate audience-specific interpretations.

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