Environmental storytelling can help spread big ideas for saving the planet

The Conversation (Boston, MA)   December 21, 2018

Research has shown that using fear to promote behavioral change can be counterproductive. However, stories with positive role models, focusing on the positive outcomes of solutions, are much more likely to inspire action to solve problems.

While this article refers to fictional stories, the same ideas can be using in oral storytelling.

In a research study, 91 volunteers were given two stories to read, each concerned with the negative impacts of climate change: one about a woman caught in a flood and the other set at the end of the world. The qualitative results indicate that positive stories inspire greater action and intentions to change behavior and more positive emotions for most people.

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