Understanding global change: A cognitive perspective on communicating through stories

Human behavior must be changed in order to ameliorate the adverse effects of global change. However, numerous studies have shown that durable change is difficult to achieve unless people have an adequate understanding of the problem and of appropriate behavioral solutions. Creating such an understanding has not been easy; the very nature of global change makes effective communication difficult. This paper proposes that one reason information has been unsuccessful is that it is not generally structured to take advantage of the way people process information. The cognitive processes involved in information acquisition and the special problems associated with communicating about global change are discussed. This discussion is used to identify those informational characteristics that will facilitate the transfer of information about global change. Stories (also referred to as case-studies or analogies) are suggested as one structure that encapsulates these characteristics; the role of stories in information transfer is elaborated upon. Though written from the point of view of presenting information to the public so that it creates understanding and impacts behavior, the paper is also relevant for scientists who wish to effectively communicate their ideas to the media and to researchers in other disciplines.