Can We Change Our Minds To Think More Sustainably?
Climate change challenges our world in many ways, yet we have barely started to address this problem. Why are we not doing more about this? Climate change is a psychological challenge, psychological barriers limit individual and collective action on climate change. Can we be nudged into acting differently?
Ises 2013 day 3 - janet swim (professor of psychology, penn state) - the psychology of climate change
1. Teaching the Choir to Sing: Encouraging
discourse about climate change
Janet Swim
Pennsylvania State University
Done in collaboration with John Fraser New Knowledge Network
Funded through NSF CCEP II John Anderson and William Spitzer PIs
2. Richard Alley: Even Pugh Professor of Geosciences at Penn State
It’s RealIt’s Real
It’s Real
It’s
Real!
6. Why isn’t the public talking about it?
• Literal denial?
– No, most believe in climate change and have for
over a decade
• Denial of human responsibility?
– No, most perceive humans or humans and nature
cause climate change
• Denial of importance?
– No, most are at least cautious, if not concerned
or alarmed
8. Psychological explanations
l Uncertainty and unsophisticated knowledge about climate change
l Status quo bias
l Lack of perceived self and personal self-efficacy
l Avoidance of disturbing emotions
13. Our Research on Spiral of silence
Public
unconcerned
Hope about
ability to
discuss
Willingness
to talk
(Geiger & Swim, 2013)
Told High vs.
low concern
among others
Concerned
Appear
incompetent
Willingness
to talk
16. Yet educators are not fully talking
Never Occasionally Somewhat often Very Often Always
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Percent frequency of saying all wanted to say about climate change
Swim & Fraser, 2013
20. • Teach interpreters how to frame messages resulting in
– Increase knowledge of strategic framing
– Increase communications skills
– Increase Hope (agency and a plan)
• Provide continual support
– Build a community of practice
• Increase climate literacy among
– Interpreters
– Those connected to Interpreters
– Aquarium Visitors
Climate Change Communication Goals
21. Study circles
building to a
community of
Practice
Work
Dyad 1
Work
Dyad 2
Work
Dyad 3
Work
Dyad 4
Bi-Annual training of interpreters
22. • Focus on shared values & strengths at local
level
q
Responsible management, Innovation, Future
legacy
• Use organizing principles
q
Interdependence of life
• Metaphors that communicate core physical
processes
Strategic framework:
Training by frameworksinstitute.org
28. Phase 1: Effects of training
Certain Knowledge Personal hope
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
4
Peer means
Recalled pre-training
emotions
Post training emotions