The future that may (or may not) come: How framing changes responses to uncertainty in climate change communications
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The future that may (or may not) come : How framing changes responses to uncertainty in climate change communications. / Morton, Thomas A.; Rabinovich, Anna; Marshall, Dan; Bretschneider, Pamela.
In: Global Environmental Change, Vol. 21, No. 1, 01.02.2011, p. 103-109.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The future that may (or may not) come
T2 - How framing changes responses to uncertainty in climate change communications
AU - Morton, Thomas A.
AU - Rabinovich, Anna
AU - Marshall, Dan
AU - Bretschneider, Pamela
PY - 2011/2/1
Y1 - 2011/2/1
N2 - Communicating possible effects of climate change inevitably involves uncertainty. Because people are generally averse to uncertainty, this activity has the potential to undermine effective action more than stimulate it. The present research considered how framing climate change predictions differently might moderate the tendency for uncertainty to undermine individual action. Two studies (Ns. = 88 and 120) show that higher uncertainty combined with a negative frame (highlighting possible losses) decreased individual intentions to behave environmentally. However when higher uncertainty was combined with a positive frame (highlighting the possibility of losses not materializing) this produced stronger intentions to act. Study 2 revealed that these effects of uncertainty were mediated through feelings of efficacy. These results suggest that uncertainty is not an inevitable barrier to action, provided communicators frame climate change messages in ways that trigger caution in the face of uncertainty.
AB - Communicating possible effects of climate change inevitably involves uncertainty. Because people are generally averse to uncertainty, this activity has the potential to undermine effective action more than stimulate it. The present research considered how framing climate change predictions differently might moderate the tendency for uncertainty to undermine individual action. Two studies (Ns. = 88 and 120) show that higher uncertainty combined with a negative frame (highlighting possible losses) decreased individual intentions to behave environmentally. However when higher uncertainty was combined with a positive frame (highlighting the possibility of losses not materializing) this produced stronger intentions to act. Study 2 revealed that these effects of uncertainty were mediated through feelings of efficacy. These results suggest that uncertainty is not an inevitable barrier to action, provided communicators frame climate change messages in ways that trigger caution in the face of uncertainty.
KW - Climate change
KW - Communication
KW - Framing
KW - Intentions
KW - Uncertainty
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78751704701&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2010.09.013
DO - 10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2010.09.013
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:78751704701
VL - 21
SP - 103
EP - 109
JO - Global Environmental Change
JF - Global Environmental Change
SN - 0959-3780
IS - 1
ER -
ID: 214452341