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?

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!

5. Conversations are Important

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

7. Climate change is not perceived as the most
important problem.
1/2

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

9. Social factors

10. Conversational Norms
Few social spaces where climate change is considered relevant or appropriate

12. Spiral of silence:
Underestimate public concern
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Own belief
Meta-perceptions
Swim, Fraser, & Rank (2013)

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

14. Breaking silence
at Informal Science learning centers

15. ISLs Ideal location to talk about climate
change

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

17. Professional norms
Two possible pictures

18. Self-presentation concerns
Looking stupid Afraid of hostility Afraid of disinterest

19. Teaching Choir to Sing

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

23. Larger Choir
Russian Choir of 4,335 in Saint Petersburg

24. Visitors/
Guests
Community of
Practice
Work
Dyad 1
Work
Dyad 2
Work
Dyad 3
Work
Dyad 4
Social Radiation

25. Trainees
Visitors/
Guests
Community of
Practice
Work
Dyad 1
Work
Dyad 2
Work
Dyad 3
Work
Dyad 4
Social Radiation

26. Friends
Conservation
Colleagues
Trainees
Visitors/
Guests
Community of
Practice
Work
Dyad 1
Work
Dyad 2
Work
Dyad 3
Work
Dyad 4
Social Radiation

27. Friends
Conservation
Colleagues
Trainees
Visitors/
Guests
Community of
Practice
Community at
Large
Work
Dyad 1
Work
Dyad 2
Work
Dyad 3
Work
Dyad 4
Social Radiation

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

29. Friends Peers
1
11
21
31
41
51
61
71
81
91
Correlations
Certainty knowledge r = .001 r = .52**
Post-training Hope r = .16 r = .62**
t(28) = 3.96, p < .001
Post-training discussions