Perceptions of Climate Changes Imagery. Evoking Salience and Self-Efficacy Through Visualization of Climate Change

• In Event: Extended Session: Climate Change Communication: Testing Messages and Media Effects

Abstract

Although the media coverage of climate change has been given some attention in the last years, only very few studies deal with visual representations of climate change. As a study by O’Neill et al. (2013) for Australia, USA and the UK has shown, climate change imagery can shape people’s perceptions of the issue. Therefore we analyze the influence of climate change imagery on citizens’ perceptions in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. We focus on which images would increase the salience of climate change as an issue (‘this image makes me feel climate change is important’) and which images would enhance self-efficacy (‘this image makes me feel I can do something about climate change’). The data was gathered in Q-methodology sorting sessions which were held in the three countries. Results were quite consistent across countries. Imagery of climate change impacts promotes salience while imagery of renewable energies and mobility enhances self-efficacy. The findings are similar to the US, UK and Australia (O’Neill et al., 2013) and strengthen the cross-cultural consistency in perceptions of visual representations of climate change.

Authors

• Julia Metag, University of Zurich

• Mike S. Schaefer, U of Zurich

• Tjado Barsuhn, U of Hamburg

• Tobias Füchslin, U of Zurich

• Katharina Kleinen-von Knigslw, U of Vienna