Yawning at the apocalypse - Brick & Van der Linden - 2018 - Article

What is this article about?

This article discusses human’s reaction to climate change. It explains why people often do not act in a sustainable way.  It starts with trade-offs. Trade-offs refer to the decisions we make between what is good for ourselves and what is good for other people, the society and the planet. This often reflects a social dilemma: do we choose the selfish option, which comes with an immediate and high personal reward or do we go with the long-term choice, which is of best interest for the society? The paradox in this dilemma is that we would all be better of when everyone would act sustainably at a societal level, but at an individual level, behaving unsustainably is the easier, less costly and psychologically more attractive choice.

What are the psychological challenges for action on climate change and what are potential solutions?

• One challenge for action on climate change is that it is not seen as a moral issue: less than 35 per cent of people see climate change as a moral issue. This is because climate change is abstract. Potential solutions are: frame communications around the specific values of the audience; highlight the villains; appeal to intrinsically valued long-term environmental goals.
• There are no social kudos for action. Humans are sensitive to other people’s thoughts about them. However, social norms only guide behavior when they are salient. Sustainability norms are often not salient and sometimes even counter-normative. Promoting social norms can be achieved through: leverage relevant social group norms; avoid pairing desired behavior with unwanted identities; support advocates across social, religious and political boundaries.
• Our brains underestimate climate change. The human brain prefers experience over analysis. However, climate change is an abstract phenomenon that does not easily trigger our intuitive, associative and affective warning system. Potential solutions are: facilitate more affective and experiential engagement; reduce psychological distance; frame policy solutions in terms of what can be gained from immediate action.