While there is a consensus among climate scientists that the climate is changing due to human activity, some still do not believe this. This is unfortunate, as even the belief that scientists are at a consensus regarding the effects of climate change is often a “gateway” to believing that climate change is really occurring. In turn, this might help lead us to engage in more eco-healthy behaviors such as switching to solar power, recycling and reducing our use of plastics, and urging our representatives to craft climate-responsible policies.

There may be people in your life who are unwilling to believe that humans are causing climate change, or think it is a hoax created by the Chinese. As a result of this, they may not attempt to live in a caring way. If you want to change their minds and/or help them embrace new climate-conscious lifestyles, what can you do?

Choose Your Arguments Carefully

If you were alive during the 1970s or took a social psychology course, you may remember the “Crying Indian” campaign against littering. This infamous commercial depicts a Native American crying at the sight of ubiquitous litter and pollution. It was meant to convince people not to litter, but it may have had the opposite effect. Widely cited research shows that when people are exposed to littered environments, they believe that littering is the norm. As a result, they may actually be more likely to litter. So, to get people to behave in an environmentally conscious way, explaining how millions of people create waste may backfire.

Though many people think that a lack of scientific knowledge is to blame for disbelief in climate change, this isn’t necessarily true. In fact, what someone believes about climate change may have more to do with the cultural group they belong to rather than their level of scientific literacy. This applies regardless of your political affiliation, or even the issue at hand. For instance, if your peers believe that the Zika virus is spreading because of global warming, you are likely to do a bit of mental jiu-jitsu to make your views align with theirs. If your peers seem to believe that Zika is spreading because of illegal immigration, on the other hand, you’re likely to believe the same. While this is a natural and socially advantageous strategy, most individuals hold moderate opinions about climate change, which are thus malleable.

So, instead of fixating on our differences in opinion, we should really focus on what we have in common. For example, though most would accept that living in a productive and trusting society would be a good thing, getting skeptics to trust scientific evidence is a much bigger ask. So, instead of using scientific evidence to argue for climate change action, you might try arguing that climate change action “… would create a society where people are more considerate and caring, and where there is greater economic/technological development.” Focusing on arguments that are less politically polarized could lead to more discussions, and less yelling.

In summary, here’s how you can have better conversations with climate change skeptics:

Try to understand the other person’s point of view. If you try to convince them with sheer conviction without taking their beliefs into account, you won’t get anywhere. This is especially true if the other person has strong beliefs in the opposite direction; if this is the case, you’ll likely find yourself in a shouting match. Instead, listen to what the other person has to say. This will make the conversation more pleasant, and the other person may then be more willing to try and understand your point of view.

Appeal to that person’s views in your argument. If this person is dubious about climate science, do not inundate them with scientific evidence supporting climate change. Unfortunately, this will probably backfire. Try a different tactic, like emphasizing that climate change action may cause us to feel greater warmth toward one another or even create new jobs.

Do not emphasize how many people are destroying the environment. As we have seen, this could depict harmful behaviors as normal, sending the wrong message that they are an acceptable social norm. Instead, try telling them how many people are installing solar panels, or choosing public transport. Alternatively, you might ask them to imagine a world in which we can breathe easier due to a lack of air pollution and live happier, healthier lives because of clean drinking water and having enough to eat. It’s clear that this  future isn’t possible if we keep acting without regard for the planet that sustains us.

Climate change should not be a partisan issue, but it will continue as such unless we at least try to bridge that divide. In the process, you might be able to form connections with a more diverse set of people than you normally would. You may find that you have more in common than you first thought. In our polarized country, a willingness to discuss and understand different points of view is essential if we ever want to be a nation of responsible Earth-dwellers.

References

Bain, P. G., Hornsey, M. J., Bongiorno, R., & Jeffries, C. (2012). Promoting pro-environmental action in climate change deniers. Nature Climate Change, 2(8), 600-603. doi: 10.1038/nclimate1532 https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate1532     

Campbell, T. H., Kay, A. C. (2014). Solution aversion: On the relation between ideology and motivated disbelief. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 107(5), 809-824. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0037963  

Cialdini, R. B., Reno, R. R., & Kallgren, C. A. (1990). A focus theory of normative conduct: Recycling the concept of norms to reduce littering in public places. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 58(6), 1015-1026. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.58.6.1015  

Cook, J., Nuccitelli, D., Green, S. A., Richardson, M., Winkler, B., Painting, R., … Skuce, A. (2013). Quantifying the consensus on anthropogenic global warming in the scientific literature. Environmental Research Letters, 8(2). doi:10.1088/1748-9326/8/2/024024 http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/8/2/024024/meta

Funk, C., & Kennedy, B. (2016). The politics of climate. Retrieved from: http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/10/04/the-politics-of-climate/

Kahan, D. M., Jamieson, K. H., Landrum, A., & Winneg, K. (2017). Culturally antagonistic memes and the Zika virus: An experimental test. Journal of Risk Research, 20(1), 1-40. https://doi.org/10.1080/13669877.2016.1260631  

Kahan, D. M., Peters, E., Wittlin, M., Slovic, P., Oullette, L. L., Braman, D., & Mandel, G. (2012). The polarizing impact of science literacy and numeracy on perceived climate change risks. Nature: Climate Change, 2, 732-735. doi:10.1038/nclimate1547

Keep America Beautiful. (1971). The crying Indian [Television commercial]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7OHG7tHrNM

Schultz, P. W., Nolan, J. M., Cialdini, R. B., Goldstein, N. J., & Griskevicius, V. (2007). The constructive, destructive, and reconstructive power of social norms. Psychological Science, 18(5), 429-434. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2007.01917.x

The post How to Effectively Engage with Climate Change Skeptics appeared first on Center for Advanced Hindsight.

According to the 2017 World Happiness Report, America is one of the most economically successful countries in the world. However, as our GDP and average income per person continues to rise, our happiness has actually been falling. Could it be that The Beatles were right? Is it true that money really can’t buy you love (or, um, happiness)?

What Exactly Does “Hygge” Mean, Anyway?

Scandinavian countries like Norway and Denmark, on the other hand, regularly top the rankings for happiest countries. Some have suggested that Denmark in particular remains consistently happy partly due to their emphasis on the concept of “hygge” (pronounced “hoo-ga”). Hygge is both a noun and a verb: it is a Danish word for the feeling of down-to-earth coziness that can be accomplished through small gatherings with friends (and away from technology) to foster a sense of relaxation and closeness.

In contrast, America as a whole seems to believe that if we just earned more money, we would be happy. However, one study of adults living in the US and UK suggests that, when given the choice, people would actually rather be healthy and happy than wealthy. We are unhappy perhaps because we unknowingly emphasize the wrong goals: we believe that economic success will bring us happiness. In reality, our relationships with others may actually make us happier.

Illustration by M. R. Trower

There is a reason for this disconnect. The process of predicting how we will feel after we experience some event is called affective forecasting, and research shows that we humans are notoriously bad at it. We often overestimate how happy we will feel after an event like our favorite sports team winning a game, and how unhappy we will feel after a negative experience, such as ending a romantic relationship.

Here are some things you can do today that might make you happy (although admittedly, some are easier said than done):

Donate your time or funds to a cause you care about. It’s no secret that doing good feels good. So sign up to volunteer at your local soup kitchen, animal shelter, or another organization close to your heart. Donate to help those less fortunate than yourself. Chances are, you’ll make at least one other person smile, and your day will feel more meaningful.

Spend time with people you care about. Try borrowing a page out of Denmark’s playbook (literally) and host a cozy gathering with close friends, away from the pressures and stress of the outside world. Be sure to put your phones away! Spending time with your loved ones face-to-face will ultimately feel much better than trying to stay updated on what all of your other friends are doing.

Practice mindfulness. Mindfulness can be achieved by focusing on what is happening right now. This means accepting our thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations as they are, rather than trying to change them. By trying to live in the present moment, we can avoid phrases like “I’ll be happy when…” Winning the lottery will not make you permanently happy. It may make you happy in the short term and perhaps open some doors for you, but it will not make you happy forever. Humans are simply not built to feel happy at all times.

Exercise! While we may not want to admit it, exercising is a good way to boost your mood. As Elle Woods (played by Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde) once said, “Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy.” Some insights as to how you can maximize your enjoyment of exercise can be found here.

Whether you are reading this on March 20th or not, I hope you are able to achieve the happiness you are looking for. If you put the above recommendations into practice, you may be able to not just sing along to Pharrell’s song, but actually feel what you are singing about.

Ciara Lutz is a researcher at the Center for Advanced Hindsight at Duke University, an applied behavioral science research lab that helps people be happier, healthier, and wealthier. You can reach her at ciara.lutz@duke.edu.

The post The Pursuit of Hygge-ness: A Danish Lesson on Happiness appeared first on Center for Advanced Hindsight.

a

Surprising Dan

A while back we asked for your help surprising Dan for his 50th Birthday. After 300+ photos from around the world were submitted, we worked to piece together a story about Dan’s journey over the past 50 years. You can see the product of all of your contributions below:

a

The post An Update: Happy 50th Birthday Dan! appeared first on Center for Advanced Hindsight.

If you decide to help, you’ll contribute a photo of yourself (to this page) holding a sign to complete the message for Dan.

Rules of the Game:

• Don’t tell Dan. This is a surprise!
• Don’t tag Dan or bring this to his attention in any way
• If Dan asks about this project, change the subject immediately. Some suggestions: “How’s that hike going?” or “Have you heard about [insert current event here]?” or the always-reliable “Do you know any jokes?”
• Do NOT tell Dan

How it Works:

• Go to the submission page here: http://happy50thbirthdaydan.advancedhindsight.com
• Click on the “generate word” button, and your word will appear
• Choose whether you want to print the word out or write it yourself
• Take a photo of yourself holding your sign, upload your photo, enter the word and your name (if you’d like)
• Submit your birthday gift to Dan!
• Encourage all your friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances to help out, and check back frequently to see how many words have been submitted
• Watch the completed video on Dan’s birthday, April 29^th

Submissions will be accepted until April 25th. After that, we will not be able to accept submissions because we need some time to put the video together.

Thank you so very much for your help. There is literally no way that we could do this without you. You are the honey to our tea, the moon to our stars, the flame to our candles. Because of you, Dan will wear a smile from ear to ear on his birthday. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you.

Love,

The doting members of the Center for Advanced Hindsight

The post Help surprise Dan for his 50th birthday appeared first on Center for Advanced Hindsight.

The CAH is a diverse team of researchers with training in social and cognitive psychology, behavioral economics, marketing, public policy, and general judgment and decision-making. This internship will be a valuable experience for hard-working students who are interested in gaining research experience in these areas in preparation for graduate training or professional careers in these fields. As such, we encourage students with limited access to research opportunities, as well as members of groups underrepresented in science, to apply.

Interns will spend approximately 40 hours each week working in collaboration with CAH research assistants, faculty, and post-docs and will be involved with planning and conducting experiments in the lab and field, as well as some data entry and analysis. Interns will also learn about topics central to behavioral economics and have chances to study and discuss research with leaders in the field. At the end of the six weeks, interns will propose and receive feedback on a project of their own stemming from what they have learned over the summer.

Interns will be provided with housing. The CAH is located at Duke, in the heart of Durham (the Northeast point of the Research Triangle).

APPLY

To apply, please submit the following to advancedhindsight@duke.edu with the subject header “CAH Durham Internship Application” as a single pdf document by April 15th, 2016:

1. A resume or curriculum vitae. Please include your university, major, relevant courses, research experience, GPA, and email address.

2. A one-page cover letter describing why you would like to attend the program, what your research interests are, what your experience in the behavioral sciences is, and what you hope to gain from the internship. You should also include the answer to the following: If a random package suddenly showed up in your mail, what would you want it to be and why?

3. A letter of recommendation from a member of your academic community (a graduate student, post-doctoral researcher or professor). This may be sent separately if you need.

Applicants will be notified of their status by April 29th.

The post Apply for the Summer Internship in Behavioral Economics at Duke appeared first on Center for Advanced Hindsight.

Community Color is a weeklong series of events, a fundraiser and a celebration that will feature an exhibit of original artwork by Carrack artists with live music, food, dance and poetry. The week will culminate on Saturday, October 13th from 6-10pm with an elegant Gala and Art Auction that Dan Ariely will be hosting. At this auction, he’ll introduce guests to various types of auctions and compare them in a real auction setting.

See the full press release here.

Tickets to the Gala and Art Auction can be purchased here.

For more information, please contact:

Laura Ritchie
laura@thecarrack.org
704 213-6666

111 West Parrish Street, Downtown Durham, NC

The post Community Color at the Carrack Modern Art appeared first on Center for Advanced Hindsight.