Communicating climate change: science, risk, attitudes & behaviour

Adam CornerSchool of Psychology, Cardiff UniversityClimate Outreach Information Network (COIN)

What is climate change communication?

1. Clearer presentation of the science/impacts of climate change?

>>>scientists, fact-based engagement

2. Public engagement (attitudes, behaviours) with climate change as a societal risk?

>>>social scientists, value-based engagement

Knowledge about climate change

• General scientific literacy? Not really (Kahan et al, 2012)

• Knowledge about climate science specifically? To some extent (Tobler et al, 2012)

• But perceptions of climate change are not primarily driven by knowledge about the subject

What predicts views about climate change?• Demographics – gender, race & age (McCright &

Dunlap, 2011)

• Political ideology – (Lewandowsky, 2012)

• People filter the facts through their own prior beliefs (Corner et al, 2011)

• The weather…the recession… ‘elite’cues from politicians etc

Specific challenges for communicating climate science• Uncertainty equated with ignorance – re-frame

as ‘risk’? (Pidgeon & Fischoff, 2011)

• ‘Psychological distance’ between the risk and the individual (Spence et al, 2011)

• Extreme weather events – a paradox for communication about climate change

What influences sustainable behaviour?• Not simply attitudes>>behaviour BUT don’t

discount them altogether

• Huge amount of behaviour (and cognition) is habitual

• Single behaviours (and individuals) do not exist in a vacuum (Corner & Randall, 2011)

Values for sustainable behaviour

Schwartz (1992)

Social norms

Fear and guilt

• Messages based on fear/threats are only effective if the threat is personal, direct and can be mitigated…

• Smoking >> lung cancer = yes

• Climate change >> sustainable behaviour = no

(Hoog, Stroebe & de Wit, 2005)

Communicating CC impacts on health• US research: Public health frame of CC produces

stronger emotional reaction, possibly better for Republicans (pollution/poor health)

• Disentangling CC >> health relationship analogous to weather >> climate?

• Values for sustainability = values forhealth?