Bringing people together on climate change
Study shows engaging, high-quality media can change minds

Date:
October 14, 2020
Source:
University of Illinois at Chicago
Summary:
A new study suggests that engaging, high-quality media programming
could help Democrats and Republicans see eye to eye when it comes
to climate change.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A new study suggests that engaging, high-quality media programming
could help Democrats and Republicans see eye to eye when it comes to
climate change.


==========================================================================
The study, published in the Journal Science Communication, surveyed 2,015 participants before and after watching one of two broadcast programs. The
study group watched an episode of "Years of Living Dangerously," a
National Geographic series that included episodes on solar energy use in
the U.S. and India, coal use in the U.S. and China, and deforestation. A control group watched a video called "Spillover: Zika, Ebola, and Beyond," which was about the spread of diseases between animals and humans.

The researchers found that when Republicans and Democrats watched "Years
of Living Dangerously," which aired in 2016 and won an Emmy Award,
they were more likely to see eye to eye. Both were likely to believe
that they could personally take action against climate change.

Among Republicans who were most engaged with the "Years of Living
Dangerously" program, their pre- and post-video surveys showed that
their perceptions of the risks associated with climate change and their
belief that they could take action were both greater after they watched
the episode -- similar to those of Democrats.

"The more transported or absorbed an individual was by the documentary,
the closer they paid attention. The more emotionally and cognitively
involved they were, the more they felt climate change was a real risk
affecting their lives," said Ashley Bieniek-Tobasco, research assistant professor of environmental and occupational health sciences at the
University of Illinois Chicago School of Public Health and first author
of the study.

"Those most engaged also tended to have stronger beliefs in their
ability to take action to help tackle climate change, such as contacting
a government official about climate change, after watching the videos,"
she said.



========================================================================== Among the participants, 624 watched the videos in a lab setting and
1,391 watched the videos online.

Of those who watched the videos in the lab, approximately 60% were
Democrats, 9% were Republicans and 30% were other affiliations. Among participants who watched the videos online, approximately 37% were
Democrats, 27% were Republicans and 37% were other affiliations.

Survey questions before and after the videos focused on three main areas: perception of the risk posed by climate change, efficacy beliefs or
beliefs that an individual can do something personally about climate
change and narrative transportation.

"Narrative transportation is a term we use to describe how immersed
or absorbed a person is while consuming a narrative, be it a film or a
book," Bieniek- Tobasco said. "It encompasses attention and emotional
and cognitive engagement with the story. It is the idea that you are transported into the story, or to another time or place while consuming
the story." "Democrats started with higher-risk perceptions and efficacy beliefs in regard to climate change when compared to Republicans, but
after watching the video, among participants who were most transported
or engaged, that difference went away," she said.

Bieniek-Tobasco and colleagues say their findings suggest that the
messages used to persuade audiences can be very effective in influencing climate change attitudes and beliefs if the content is engaging.

"Narrative transportation predicts efficacy beliefs and risk perceptions
and appears to reduce political polarization in climate change attitudes
and beliefs," she said. "This tells us that engaging storytelling
is potentially a powerful tool for combating polarization. If used
in the right way, it may also catalyze changes in political behaviors
needed to build political will to implement policy solutions to address
climate change, and ultimately protect our health." This research,
which was conducted by Bieniek-Tobasco under a research protocol at
George Washington University, was funded in part by a grant from the
Children's Investment Fund Foundation.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
University_of_Illinois_at_Chicago. Original written by Sharon
Parmet. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Ashley Bieniek-Tobasco, Rajiv N. Rimal, Sabrina McCormick,
Cherise B.

Harrington. The Power of Being Transported: Efficacy Beliefs,
Risk Perceptions, and Political Affiliation in the Context of
Climate Change.

Science Communication, 2020; 107554702095179 DOI: 10.1177/
1075547020951794 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/10/201014140940.htm

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