Decisions from experience reduce misconceptions about climate change
نویسندگان
چکیده
Research has shown widespread misconceptions in public understanding of the dynamics of climate change: A majority of people incorrectly infer that carbon-dioxide (CO2) concentrations can be controlled by stabilizing emissions at or above current rates (correlation heuristic), and while emissions continuously exceed absorptions (violation of mass balance). Such misconceptions are likely to delay actions that mitigate climate change. This paper tests a way to reduce these misconceptions through experience in a dynamic simulation. In a laboratory experiment, participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: description, where participants performed a CO2 stabilization (CS) task that provided them with a CO2 concentration trajectory over a 100 year period and asked them to sketch the corresponding CO2 emissions and absorptions over the same period; and experience, where participants performed the same task in a dynamic climate change simulator (DCCS), followed by the CS task. In both conditions, half of the participants were science and technology (STEM) majors, and the other half were non-STEM. Results revealed a significant reduction in people’s misconceptions in the experience condition compared to the description condition. Furthermore, STEMs demonstrated better performance than nonSTEMs. These results highlight the potential for using experience-based simulation tools like DCCS to improve understanding about the dynamics of climate change. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
منابع مشابه
Climate Change 2001 : The Scientific
Studies have shown that both students and the general public possess many misconceptions about the processes involved in the greenhouse effect and ozone depletion. This study, conducted in a mock summit class on global climate change, explored the level of understanding and the nature of students' misconceptions about climate. Several times throughout the class, students responded to a set of q...
متن کاملClimate Change and the Challenges of Quantitative Assessment of Urban Climate Change: A Case Study in Tehran Metropolis
Background and Aim: Climate change on the earth is changing faster than ever before in the history. Cities are highly vulnerable to this climate change. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate climate change in the metropolis of Tehran during the period 1991-2020 and help understand the limitations that cities may have in confronting climate change. Materials and Methods: This descri...
متن کاملClimate Risk Communication: Effects of Cost, Timing, and Probability of Climate Consequences in Decisions from Description and Experience
Decisions from description and experience impact the psychology of policymaking on climate change. Yet, experiencing climate change consequences in movies and reading descriptive messages about the consequences in newspapers and reports seem to have fallen on deaf ears. This study investigates how a description or experience of cost, timing, and probability of future climate consequences affect...
متن کاملFrom science to policy: developing responses to climate change
Climate change poses risks to human health, ecosystems, social and cultural systems, and economic development. It also provides opportunities. The goals of climate policy should be to reduce the risks and take advantage of the opportunities. Adapting to the potential effects of climate change is a complex and ongoing process requiring actions by individuals, communities, governments and interna...
متن کاملNeutralizing misinformation through inoculation: Exposing misleading argumentation techniques reduces their influence
Misinformation can undermine a well-functioning democracy. For example, public misconceptions about climate change can lead to lowered acceptance of the reality of climate change and lowered support for mitigation policies. This study experimentally explored the impact of misinformation about climate change and tested several pre-emptive interventions designed to reduce the influence of misinfo...
متن کامل