Climate Communications and Human Psychology (Video)

We must acknowledge that facts alone are insufficient to augur widespread climate action. The Trump administration’s disdain for facts highlight the importance of a science-based understanding of climate change. However, the Trump administration is not the biggest impediment to climate action. They are merely taking advantage of human psychology.

Narratives bassed exclusively on facts make people feel both afraid and guilty. Rather than motivating us to act fear causes apathy, avoidance and passivity. We need messaging that is both clear and concise. We also need narratives that reflect the propensities of the human psyche.

First and foremost we must acknowledge that we are social creatures. This is a defining feature of human psychology. We can more effectively encourage climate engagement if we incorporate what we know about social-behavior. Research shows that making comparisons and encouraging competition has been found to foster action. Social competition has been shown to help people engage in environmentally friendly behaviors like saving energy.

We also need more optimistic climate narratives. Behavioral change is possible but we must do more than guilt people into action. We need to help people understand that we can manage the climate crisis no matter how daunting it may appear. We need to avoid pessimism and present positive narratives. We need to share environmental success stories including the campaigns that induce behavior changes like those that are resulting in the repair of the ozone layer.

Climate Lab is a partnership between Vox and the University of California. They created the following video which explores research conducted by the UCLA Engage Project. It offers some interesting research-based insights into the realm effective climate communications.