Does Political Sophistication Minimize Value Conflict? Evidence from a Heteroskedastic Graded IRT Model of Opinions Toward Climate Change

New Findings

This study reveals that political sophistication may influence how citizens manage value conflicts regarding climate change policies.

Data & Methods

We employed heteroskedastic graded item response theory models to analyze public opinion data on environmental and economic values toward climate change.

Key Concepts

• Value conflict: Citizens holding multiple, potentially contradictory values relevant to policy opinions.
• Political sophistication: Ability to manage complex value systems in decision-making.
• Value reconciliation: Balancing different core values without compromising their importance.

Our findings demonstrate that individuals with higher political knowledge are more likely to reconcile environmental and economic values when forming opinions on climate change policies.