Climate change perspectives in Lithuania: exploring science attitudes and personality correlations

Introduction Public responses to climate change are influenced by interpretations of scientific information and individual differences. Understanding these factors can improve targeted climate communication. Methods We conducted a nationally representative survey of Lithuanian adults ( N = 1,005; fieldwork 21 June–7 July 2024) to examine (a) distinct profiles of climate-change beliefs, (b) the science attitudes differentiating these profiles, and (c) whether personality traits relate to climate-change attitudes directly and indirectly via science attitudes. Latent profile analysis (LPA) identified belief profiles, binary logistic regression assessed predictors of profile membership, and mediation analyses tested indirect effects through attitudes toward science. Results LPA using three climate-belief indicators supported a two-class solution among respondents with complete data ( n = 930): Lower Endorsement (29.2%) and Higher Endorsement (70.8%). Stronger endorsement of science’s problem-solving capacity, support for unrestricted scientific inquiry, and support for state funding of research significantly increased the odds of belonging to the Higher Endorsement class ( n = 652 with complete predictor data). Mediation analyses indicated that science attitudes were positively associated with climate-change attitudes and partially mediated the relationships between conscientiousness, extraversion, neuroticism, and climate-change attitudes. Discussion The findings reveal heterogeneity in climate-change beliefs in Lithuania and suggest that audience segmentation and psychologically informed communication strategies may enhance climate-related science communication.