THE VERDICT ON THIS ASSUMPTION: True
A small but growing body of social science research suggests that those of us with a greater sense of self-efficacy (the sense that one’s actions can make a difference) tend to be more able to think about climate change 1 , and are also more likely to practice behaviors that address climate change 2 . Along these same lines, studies of adolescents have shown that higher levels of self-efficacy are associated with a greater likelihood that individuals will seek out information about climate change 3 . This is directly related to the finding that people will ‘protect themselves’ from thinking about the issues if they feel there is nothing they can do anyway 4 .
The link between the perception of efficacy (or impact) and engaging with climate change is quite well established. For example, in a study about challenges for adopting climate-friendly behaviors such as recycling and energy conservation, a 2008 study found that roughly 20% of people who hadn’t taken any action felt that changing their behavior would not make any difference 5 .
Frames Associated with This Assumption:
Another study found that when efforts to increase feelings of efficacy were successful, people became more intent on doing something to fight climate change, including signing petitions and voting for a political party that fights against climate change 1 . This does not necessarily suggest a focus on “every little thing you do helps,” but rather that more nuanced ways of conveying how our actions contribute to the greater whole are particularly effective.
Together, this research suggests that convincing people that mitigating climate change is possible could play an important role in sparking higher levels of engagement. Emphasizing what people can do and encouraging a sense of efficacy can help people overcome feelings of disempowerment, as long as it’s down to earth, realistic and not overly simplistic. Such efforts should also emphasize what other people are doing which can help overcome concerns that others aren’t doing their fair share (this is a form of social norming, discussed in Assumption 12).
Finally, the research suggests strong links between one's sense of efficacy and the ability to even think about climate issues. This may be particularly important for engaging Republicans. In a recent study of climate change attitudes among Republicans, 60% indicated that the US should take steps to address climate change (when the issue was framed using conservative frames). But the study also found that Republicans have a very low sense of self-efficacy regarding climate change. For example, 62% of Republicans said that they “didn’t think elected officials care much about what people like me think about climate change” and 56% said that “people like me don’t have any say in what the government does about climate change,” illustrating high levels of perceived disenfranchisement. Finally, only 12% of Republicans believed that they would influence the thinking of an elected official by writing to them about the issue 2 .
- Personal and collective efficacy can be strengthened through community-level initiatives 8 and conversation-based platforms in which people share experiences and best practices.
- Sustainability professionals in the public sector can help focus attention on civic-level success stories, at a scale people can recognize and feel inspired by.
- First-person stories and case studies that acknowledge both the limits and opportunities of our actions can be particularly effective 9 ].
- Nothing supports a sense of efficacy more than the direct experience of having contributed and made a difference. Support creative engagement by providing opportunities for people to have direct input.
