Dynamics of Communicating Climate Change Information

1. Dynamics of Communicating Climate Change InformationHebba Haddad Centre for Sport, Leisure and Tourism, Capacity Building Centre Showcase event 8th June 2011

2. Dynamics of Communicating Climate Change Information • Started October 2009 • SLT CBC Cluster themes • Travel, transport and sustainability • Environment and Landscape • Supervision team University of Exeter, School of Psychology • Dr Anna Rabinovich and Dr Thomas Morton • Met Office contact points • Sarah Tempest, Andy Yeatman (Met Office, Communications) • Dr Debbie Hemming (Met Office Hadley Centre)

3. PhD Aims • Managing uncertainty is the critical challenge to climate change communication: • Aim to critically examine the role of the informer, information and informed in the communication of climate change information • Investigate how scientists and science communicators approach uncertainty and the process of communication itself • Investigate how audiences respond to climate change communications as a function of message content and their own motivations • Examine this in the context of sustainable behaviour

4. Mixed-Methodology PHASE ONE Qualitative Interviews Aim: To get a better understanding of the role of scientists and climate science communicators in process of (public) communication of climate science Interviews with climate scientists and climate science communicators PHASE TWO Quantitative surveys Aim: Pilot and test themes from Phase One Two studies amongst publics PHASE THREE Qualitative? Quantitative? Aim: Build on previous two Phases Questionnaires? Interviews? Focus groups? Experimental work?

5. Indicative findingsQualitative interviews • Semi-structured interviews with 14 participants (9 scientists, 5 Communicators) • Agreement that key role is to inform rather than influence behaviour change • Climate scientists and climate science communicators work on different communication models • Scientists focus on an ‘informational’ (deficit) model • Communicators focus on a more ‘relational’ model • Perceived barriers to communication with publics • Scientists need to communicate uncertainties and jargon (Comms) • Audience’s lack of understanding of science (Scientists)

6. Indicative findingsExperimental study • 152 Exeter students were presented with a website for scientific organisation. Varied: • Uncertainty in climate change predictions (lower versus higher) • Presentational style (open versus corporate) • Measured perceptions of the organisation (e.g., trustworthiness); willingness to engage with the message; behavioural intentions

7. Indicative findingsExperimental study • Presentational style influenced perceived trustworthiness • Open style conveyed higher trust/ honesty/ morality • Presentational style modified the effects of uncertainty on engagement and behaviour: When uncertainty is high, an open communication style facilitates action (and engagement)

8. (Preliminary) Implications • Scientists and communicators approach communication differently: • Scientists focus on informational aspects • Communicators focus on relational aspect • Relational processes shape how audiences respond to informational content of climate change messages • i.e. the two interact • Addressing the barrier of uncertainty may not always involve resolving uncertainty itself: • Understanding communication processes and how these shape audience motivations is key

9. Thank you for listening • Research presented here was conducted during an ESRC Studentship under its Capacity Building Clusters Award (RES-187-24-0002) in partnership with the Met Office • For more information about this project and the work of the Centre for Sport, Leisure and Tourism research, see www.exeter.ac.uk/slt/ourresearch/communicatingclimatechange • Hebba Haddad, H.Haddad@exeter.ac.uk