20.500.12556/RUL-179891 Public acceptability of fusion energy: a scoping review of social science research Background: As nuclear fusion progresses from a scientific prospect to a plausible commercial energy source, its successful deployment will depend not only on technical and economic viability but also on public acceptability. Understanding the social landscape is therefore critical for navigating the path to commercialization. Objective: This article addresses a gap in the literature by providing the first scoping review of social science research on the public acceptability of fusion energy conducted over the last two decades (2005–2025). Methods: A systematic search of academic databases was conducted. A final corpus of 14 research articles was selected and synthesized using narrative and thematic analysis to map the field's key concepts, methodologies, and findings. Two additional post-window studies were included as emerging evidence. Results: The review finds that research is concentrated in Europe and the United States. A consistent picture emerges: public awareness of fusion is low, yet attitudes are generally positive, though tentative and weakly held. The most powerful predictors of acceptability are pre-existing attitudes towards nuclear fission, affective responses, risk-benefit perceptions, and trust in governing institutions. Conclusion: The public acceptability of fusion is shaped by a complex interplay of psychological, social, and contextual factors. Achieving a durable social license requires a paradigm shift towards strategic, multi-faceted engagement that balances inclusive dialogue with evidence-based risk communication addressing public values, emotions, and concerns. public acceptability nuclear fusion survey research qualitative research public attitudes sprejemanje javnosti jedrska fuzija anketno raziskovanje kvalitativna raziskava odnos javnosti true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2026-02-26 12:08:14 2026-02-26 12:08:22 2026-02-27 04:32:12 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2026 0 0 10 str. Vol. 226, art. 115692 2026 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 316.654:621.039 0920-3796 10.1016/j.fusengdes.2026.115692 269759747 Oltra,_Cok..._Public_acceptability....pdf Oltra,_Cok..._Public_acceptability....pdf 1 FB30BE5AE90A2CC9B82B6296186E79DA c3c9731cb7db715576f3b5f54576c29c62d82f8911acf5cb33d797eed699957d 8626f697-1303-11f1-a1ba-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=228803 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0920379626000803 1 254a57a1-1303-11f1-a1ba-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=228802 Fakulteta za strojništvo 0 0 0