Transportation, Emotion, and Climate Change Attitude: Understanding Map Reader Response to Storytelling Maps

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Date

2021-09-13

Authors

Garrison, Michala

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

University of Oregon

Abstract

Maps are a key way climate change research is displayed because they are an efficient way to convey spatial aspects of climate change information. However, scientific and so-called objective maps often present climate change as abstract and have the potential of failing to engage readers. Despite the increase in popularity of storytelling maps, few studies have focused on how storytelling maps about climate change effects, such as hypoxia, differ from the more scientific maps created by researchers. By focusing on two variables: 1) narrative structure (how story-like something is) and 2) the inclusion of a map, I conducted a between-subjects user study with four stimuli to measure how these variables influenced 1) narrative transportation, 2) emotion, and 3) climate change and hypoxia attitudes. I found that storytelling maps changed climate change attitudes, but that no single combination of narrative structure and maps led to higher transportation or emotional response.

Description

Keywords

cartography, climate change communication, emotion, stories, storytelling maps, transportation

Citation