Lights, camera … action? Altered attitudes and behaviour in response to the climate change film The Age of Stupid

Abstract

The film The Age of Stupid depicts the world in 2055 devastated by climate change, combining this with documentary footage which illustrates many facets of the problems of climate change and fossil-fuel dependency. This study investigates the effects of the film on UK viewers' attitudes and behaviour through a three-stage survey. Analysis of changes in attitudes focussed particularly on respondents' concern about climate change, motivation to act, fear about the potential for catastrophe, beliefs about responsibility for action, and sense of agency. The film increased concern about climate change, motivation to act, and viewers' sense of agency, although these effects had not persisted 10-14 weeks after seeing it. It was also successful in promoting some mitigation actions and behavioural change, although respondents reported barriers to further action, such as limited options for improving home energy efficiency among those in rented accommodation. However, filmgoers were atypical of the general public in that they exhibited very high levels of concern about climate change, knowledge about how to reduce their carbon emissions, and contact with organisations campaigning about climate change, before they saw the film. The paper considers how these factors may have enabled viewers to respond to the film as they did, as well as policy implications for those seeking to develop effective climate change communications.

Using the transtheoretical model of behavioural change to understand the processes through which climate change films might encourage mitigation action

“…The Day After Tomorrow and The Age of Stupid both utilise a 'climate catastrophe' narrative, but in the case of the former film this was lightened by humour and was resolved by an upbeat ending -the threat to the characters with whom viewers are encouraged to identify seemed to be over. Howell (2011) found that viewers of The Age of Stupid did not generally find the disaster-framing of the movie disempowering, exhibiting increased motivation to act and belief that they could do something about climate change immediately after seeing the film; however, she suggests that this could be because they already knew what to do to reduce emissions.…”

“…Given that people need to trust and identify with 'messengers' (Chess and Johnson, 2007;Kahan, 2010), and with media characters from whom they might learn through emulation (Bandura, 2004), it is important that a range of figures (whether fictional or real) appear in films that attempt to influence audiences. Research on the impacts of The Age of Stupid found that viewers did not universally empathise with wind farm developer Piers (Howell, 2011) so it is useful that the film also features other, quite different individuals. In Just Do It, almost all the activists followed are young, and all are white, which may give an unintended message about who the film is relevant to, and/or limit its appeal.…”

“…It is difficult to know whether climate change films gain such audiences, as no studies have directly assessed viewers' stage of change, but some studies include information that can perhaps be used as proxy measures. For example, Howell (2011) found that in the year prior to seeing The Age of Stupid, 61.8% of viewers sampled had donated money to, and 36.1% were actively involved in, groups campaigning about climate change. Furthermore, respondents later reported several actions they were doing but not because of having seen the film.…”

“…social norms, lack of enabling infrastructure) that may prevent people from taking action even if they are inspired to do so (Gifford, 2011;Howell, 2011;Lorenzoni, Nicholson-Cole, and Whitmarsh, 2007). It can also be difficult to overcome the force of habit (Hargreaves, Nye, and Burgess, 2010;Oeuellette and Wood, 1998;Webb and Sheeran, 2006).…”

“…This includes research on The Day After Tomorrow (Balmford et al, 2004;Leiserowitz, 2004;Lowe, 2006;Lowe et al, 2006;Reusswig, Schwarzkopf, and Pohlenz, 2004); An Inconvenient Truth (Beattie, 2011;Beattie, Sale, and McGuire, 2011;Nolan, 2010); The Age of Stupid (Howell, 2011;; and Just Do It (Lander, 2012). These studies give a mixed picture: the films generally raise concern about climate change, and often promote motivation to act or even behavioural intentions.…”