Differentiated Trust Strategies and Rebellious Acceptance: A Qualitative Comparative Analysis of the Trust Strategies Used by Scientist Communicators and Citizen Science Communicators in Chinese Online Climate Communication.

This article examines the differing trust strategies employed by scientist communicators and citizen science communicators in online climate communication on Zhihu, China's largest knowledge-sharing platform. Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) of 200 selected climate-related answers, the study finds that scientists predominantly use rational, evidence-based strategies emphasizing professional identity, while citizen science communicators favor emotional and moral appeals that create a sense of closeness with the audience. However, Chinese audiences demonstrate active and selective trust preferences influenced by the cultural principle of The Doctrine of Mean and Harmony, tending to trust scientists who incorporate emotional elements alongside rationality and citizen communicators who adopt more rational, evidence-based approaches. The findings highlight the complexity of trust in climate communication, shaped by communicator diversity, audience agency, and cultural context, and suggest that effective trust-building requires nuanced strategies tailored to these factors.