Trakar
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- Feb 28, 2011
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Climate change and moral judgement
Worth a look through for those interested in more than simply discussing the issue casually on a political message board.
Converging evidence from the behavioural and brain sciences suggests that the human moral judgement system is not well equipped to identify climate change a complex, large-scale and unintentionally caused phenomenon as an important moral imperative. As climate change fails to generate strong moral intuitions, it does not motivate an urgent need for action in the way that other moral imperatives do. We review six reasons why climate change poses significant challenges to our moral judgement system and describe six strategies that communicators might use to confront these challenges. Enhancing moral intuitions about climate change may motivate greater support for ameliorative actions and policies.
Six psychological challenges posed by climate change to the human moral judgement system.
[FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium]Abstractness and cognitive complexity [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book][FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book]The abstract nature of climate change makes it non-intuitive and cognitively effortful to grasp [/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium]The blamelessness of unintentional action [/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book][FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book]The human moral judgement system is finely tuned to react to intentional transgressions [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium]Guilty bias [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book][FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book]Anthropogenic climate change provokes self-defensive biases [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium]Uncertainty breeds wishful thinking [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book][FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book]The lack of definitive prognoses results in unreasonable optimism [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium]Moral tribalism [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book][FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book]The politicization of climate change fosters ideological polarization [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium]Long time horizons and faraway places [/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book][FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book]Out-group victims fall by the wayside [/FONT][/FONT]
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Six psychological strategies that communicators can use to bolster the recognition of climate change as a moral imperative.
[FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium]Use existing moral values[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book][FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book]Frame climate change using more broadly held values that appeal to untapped demographics[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium]Burdens versus benefits[/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book][FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book]Focus messaging on the costs, not benefits, that we may impose on future generations[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium]Emotional carrots[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Whitney Semibold,Whitney Semibold][FONT=Whitney Semibold,Whitney Semibold], [/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium]not sticks[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book][FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book]Motivate action through appeals to hope, pride and gratitude rather than guilt, shame and anxiety[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium]Be wary of extrinsic motivators[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book][FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book]Pushing action on climate change as good business may backfire[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium]Expand group identity[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book][FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book]Increase identification with and empathy for future generations and people living in other places[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium][FONT=Whitney Medium,Whitney Medium]Highlight positive social norms[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book][FONT=Whitney Book,Whitney Book]Leverage human susceptibility to social influence and approval[/FONT][/FONT]
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...Fortunately, recent insights may point the way towards effective strategies to combat these challenges and increase recognition of action on climate change as a moral imperative; doing so may be particularly useful in motivating widespread public support for political action...
Worth a look through for those interested in more than simply discussing the issue casually on a political message board.