Messages of hope are more effective than fear mongering in promoting effective environmental problem solving

Climate campaigns have long relied on a familiar emotional playbook: show people something frightening, make them feel guilty, and hope that discomfort translates into action. A new study suggests that approach may be getting it backwards. When it comes to inspiring genuine creative problem-solving around climate change, hope turns out to be a more powerful tool than fear.

Messages of hope are more effective than fear mongering in promoting effective environmental problem solving. Climate campaigns have long relied on a familiar emotional playbook: show people something frightening, make them feel guilty, and hope that discomfort translates into action. A new study suggests that approach may be getting it backwards. When it comes to inspiring genuine creative problem-solving around climate change, hope turns out to be a more powerful tool than fear. The research was led by Professor Alexa Spence at the University of Nottingham’s School of Psychology . The problem with negative emotions Fear , guilt, and anger aren’t useless. They can prompt a reaction. But the key word is “reaction,” which is something immediate, short-term, and often shallow. What fear and guilt are less good at is inspiring the kind of fl...