Novel approach to delivering pro-environmental messages significantly shifts norms and motivation, but children are not more effective spokespeople than adults

Abstract

Three studies provided initial laboratory tests of the effectiveness of a novel form of community-based environmental messaging intended to be deployed on public digital signs. In all studies, adult participants watched a slideshow of “Community Voices,” a display that combines community images and quotes to celebrate and empower pro-environmental and pro-community thought and action. In addition to assessing the general efficacy of the approach, a central goal was to assess the impact of alternative messengers by comparing identical text associated with either adult or child messengers (Studies 1, 2, and 3). We also assessed the impact of alternative framing of the message itself by comparing: injunctive vs non-injunctive wording (Study 1), political vs non-political content (Study 1), and future vs. present-oriented framing (Study 2). Studies 1 and 2 were conducted on a national sample. In addition, to assess the impact of local vs. non-local messengers, Study 3 compared the response of a non-local sample to a local population in which subjects had personal connections with the people and places featured in the message content. Exposure to Community Voices messages resulted in significant increases in social norm perception, concern about environmental issues, commitment to action, and optimism, suggesting that this approach to messaging is potentially valuable for stimulating cultural change. However, messages attributed to child messengers were generally not more effective, and in some cases were less effective than the same message attributed to adults. We also found no significant difference in the impact of the alternative message frames studied.

Does Active or Informative Messaging Result in Greater Conservation Engagement?

“…From utilizing positive framing to identity language [26], social marketing around the costs and benefits of behaviors [48], and strategic use of influential emotions [21,27], conservation campaigns can engage active audience involvement. Environmental messages with compelling visuals and strategic stories can even influence personal and social norms, optimism and hope, and commitment to action, which are key components of cultural change [60]. Examining best practices for influential messages can further enable our ability to encourage impactful conservation throughout our target communities.…”

“…Both the scientific information and social marketing graphics focused on behaviors over facts about parrotfish were effective in engaging respondents, yet with one-third of the words, the social marketing poster more efficiently conveyed the desired message. Strategic visuals using active icons and text can inspire emotional reactions, which can influence behavioral intention to participate in conservation [60], as shown by the higher behavioral intention for the social marketing poster over all other visuals, including the scientific poster (Figure 3F). The results of this research about audience reactions and their relationship to specific conservation actions demonstrate the opportunity for strategic framing to better achieve conservation goals by mobilizing more people to be involved in promoting efficiency, increased resources, and more.…”

“…Active behavior-focused messages can guide audiences to develop the intention to act by using design techniques such as "(1) keep it simple, (2) balance the message, and (3) provide an action perspective" (de Vries, 2020). Consider how the messages can strategically include social and personal norms as the link between the sense of responsibility and the intention to act [60,67,68].…”