Want People to Act on Climate Change? Stop Trying to Make Them Feel Responsible
New research compares 15 climate communication strategies and reveals why emotional storytelling can outperform evidence-only campaigns in driving action.
Persuasion is often considered an art, not a science. However, that hasn’t stopped researchers, marketers, advocates, and policymakers from searching for the most effective ways to change minds and inspire action.
A new study suggests that when it comes to climate action, facts alone may not be enough. Researchers at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) found communication strategies centering storytelling and emotions like awe and wonder were more effective than purely informational and evidentiary campaigns.
The meta-analysis of 71 studies totaling over 216,000
The meta-analysis of 71 studies totaling over 216,000 participants showed that almost all 15 communication strategies evaluated had some positive effect. The odd one out was responsibility-based communication, which had no effect. Appeals to morality on the other hand—which for the purposes of this research is different from responsibility—were measured as very effective.
Feelings Count
The study, based out of UNIGE’s Consumer Decision and Sustainable Behavior Lab, also found that campaigns incorporating imagery instead of just text were more effective.
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“Moral duty and ethical framing as well as awe and beauty of nature messaging turned out to be the most effective communication strategies,” the study stated, “showing greater positive effects than the communication of scientific evidence and facts.”
These findings suggest that people are often motivated
These findings suggest that people are often motivated less by what they know and more by what they feel. Knowing this information can help future campaigns hone in on sharp messaging that can convert to action.
“This is particularly encouraging given that the studies reviewed mainly measured the effects of messages to which people were exposed only once,” Tobias Brosch, the lab’s director, said in a press release. “Yet we know that repeated exposure can strengthen their impact. At a time when the scientific evidence is well established and the challenge is to turn knowledge into action, there is considerable scope to improve climate communication.”
Source: www.inc.com
