Impact framing and experience for determining acceptable levels of climate change risk: A lab experiment

The study finds that visual appeals (photos) significantly lower the acceptable level of risk by triggering emotional and moral reasoning, though this effect is diminished when numeric data is presented as a range rather than a single value. Additionally, participants who experienced simulated damages increased their investment in protection in subsequent rounds, suggesting a reactive 'gut' response to experience that differs from the reflective reasoning triggered by visual cues.

• Visual framings, specifically the inclusion of photos of climate impacts, lead to lower acceptable levels of risk (ALR) and higher investment in protection compared to text-only communications.
• The influence of visual appeals on risk acceptability is stronger when damage costs are presented as a single value than when they are presented as a range, as the latter requires more cognitive effort and objective reasoning.
• Presenting climate change damage costs as a range of values, rather than a single value, does not significantly change the overall level of risk acceptability.
• Personal experience of damages significantly reduces the acceptable level of risk in subsequent decisions, whereas those who do not experience damages maintain their initial risk acceptability levels.
• Visual cues trigger a form of 'practical rationality' based on long-lasting narratives and moral duty, while the effect of experience is a transient, reactive 'gut' response that may lead to maladaptation.

APA

Markanday, A., Kallbekken, S., & Galarraga, I. (2020). Impact framing and experience for determining acceptable levels of climate change risk: A lab experiment. Basque Centre for Climate Change. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20201111053032570769538.pdf

Chicago

Markanday, Ambika, Steffen Kallbekken, and Ibon Galarraga. Impact framing and experience for determining acceptable levels of climate change risk: A lab experiment. Basque Centre for Climate Change, 2020. https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20201111053032570769538.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Markanday |first1=Ambika |last2=Kallbekken |first2=Steffen |last3=Galarraga |first3=Ibon |title=Impact framing and experience for determining acceptable levels of climate change risk: A lab experiment |publisher=Basque Centre for Climate Change |date=November 2020 |url=https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20201111053032570769538.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{markanday2020impact, author = {Markanday, Ambika and Kallbekken, Steffen and Galarraga, Ibon}, title = {{Impact framing and experience for determining acceptable levels of climate change risk: A lab experiment}}, institution = {Basque Centre for Climate Change}, year = {2020}, month = nov, url = {https://www.bc3research.org/h6T8Uy8Nm4gFs0O/20201111053032570769538.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }