Can humour help tackle climate change?

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges we have ever faced. However, it can also be a topic that divides many. Persuading climate sceptics of its severity, and the need for action can be a near-impossible task.

Second-year Psychology student, Caroline, is looking to take on this challenge from a new angle. Caroline and her team of fellow students are researching the impact that humour can have on the persuasiveness of communication on the topic of climate change.

“We want test humour on persuasion in terms of climate change. We’re looking at how the level of persuasion changes with framing when humour is introduced. So, we will have positive and negative messages framed using humorous versus non-humorous.”

Framing the question

Even in the second year of an undergraduate degree, the psychology students have been able to direct their own research. With support from staff in the Department of Psychology, they manage their research from start to finish, choosing their own questions on topics that interest them and that have relevance in today’s key debates. 

“Climate change is a subject that affects everyone and is relevant to everyone, particularly right now. As a department, we get the chance to be really hands-on. We’re second years doing full research projects that we frame ourselves from beginning to end. They go through ethics boards and follow the same rigorous processes as more senior students who would be publishing their work. Most other universities seem to make you try and replicate research that already exists rather than letting you actually do it. 

“The staff here are also very kind and supportive. They care about their students from a human point of view, which is very important.”

The power of memes

As part of her research, Caroline and her team will investigate the persuasiveness of certain messaging and imagery on global warming. They will introduce humour using the well-known format of memes, seeing how this changes the effectiveness of a message.  This innovative research has the potential to open up doors to a new dialogue on climate change.

“Depending on the results, it could show that there is a way of communicating that works better for climate change specifically and persuades people to take it seriously. I’m hoping that we start people talking about climate change in a different way. Even if it’s just a few of us.”

The Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths is a thriving centre for excellence in research. You can find out more about its ground-breaking research, as well as opportunities for how you can take part via their online research hub.

 If you’re interested in learning more about how we at Goldsmiths are responding to the climate emergency, you can find out more by reading about our Green New Deal.