From Responsibility to Response
How Attribution Shapes Support for PFAS Risk Mitigation
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 24217396 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Laura N Rickard (0000-0002-5668-7580, University of Maine), Janet Z Yang (0000-0002-5989-5254, University at Buffalo, SUNY), C L Noblet (0000-0002-3122-9268, University of Maine) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-18 |
| Publication date | 2026-09-23 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Environmental Communication (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1752-4032 • E-ISSN: 1752-4040 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/17524032.2026.2737160 |
| OpenAlex | W7214112438 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 72 |
Addressing environmental problems requires accountability. While governments and corporations play a role, how individuals attribute responsibility for solving these problems can influence pivotal attitudes and behaviors. We examine attribution of responsibility in the context of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). U.S. participants (N = 3,611) were randomly assigned to messages emphasizing individual or societal-level responsibility, or to a no-message control. Results from structural equation modeling showed that both individual and societal attribution increased trust in government, which subsequently contributed to policy support and behavioral intention through risk perception and self-efficacy. Political ideology moderated the relationship between attribution of responsibility and behavioral intention, with exposure to both individual and societal attribution messages increasing behavioral intention among liberals and moderates, but not among conservatives. These findings reveal key mechanisms underlying attribution messaging effects in a fractured political environment and offer practical insights for PFAS communication.
attribution of responsibility · behavioral intention · per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances · personal responsibility · PFAS · policy support · political ideology · public trust in government · risk mitigation · Risk perception · Self-efficacy · Social responsibility · Climate Change Communication and Perception · Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances research · Risk Perception and Management
An Attributional Theory of Motivation and Emotion
The Political Divide on Climate Change
Trust and Risk Perception
Fear Appeals and Persuasion
Understanding Wicked Problems
Models of helping and coping.
Stimulus Sampling and Social Psychological Experimentation
The Role Of Causal Attribution Dimensions In Trust Repair
A Meta-Analysis of Fear Appeals
Social Learning Theory and the Health Belief Model
The psychology of interpersonal relations.
Self- and Response Efficacy Information in Fear Appeals
Playing the blame game
Framing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) risk
Impact of Information Exposure on Perceived Risk, Efficacy, and Preventative Behaviors at the Beginning of the Covid-19 Pandemic in the United States
A Systematic Review of Attribution Theory Applied to Crisis Events in Communication Journals
Framing as a Bridging Concept for Climate Change Communication
State Messaging on Toxic Chemical Exposure
Perceived Risk and Efficacy Beliefs as Motivators of Change
The Social Amplification of Risk
The attribution of blame
The Protective Action Decision Model
Social Motivation, Justice, and the Moral Emotions
Framing as a Theory of Media Effects
Green earth or healthy plate
Ideology, capitalism, and climate
PFAS and the pollution trap
How Motivated Reasoning and Temporal Frames May Polarize Opinions About Wildlife Disease Risk
The “I” in climate
Fear control and danger control
Framing the Consequences of Childhood Obesity to Increase Public Support for Obesity Prevention Policy
The Social Amplification of Risk
The processes of causal attribution
Sustaining positive perceptions of science in the face of conflicting health information
Framing Responsibility for Political Issues
News Images, Race, and Attribution in the Wake of Hurricane Katrina
Communicating Climate Change
After the Flood
One or Many? The Influence of Episodic and Thematic Climate Change Frames on Policy Preferences and Individual Behavior Change
Defensive attribution
Party Over Policy
Framing Theory
Framing
Framing responsibility for political issues
Climate change and right-wing populism in the United States
"The Social Life of the "Forever Chemical
Risk and Recreancy
Presidential Address on
Attributions of Responsibility for Obesity
| Highly cited | No |
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