Energy system changes in the agricultural sector: testing a value-congruent communication approach to foster positive attitudes
Multiple sectors, including agriculture, are subject to decarbonization and wide-ranging system changes. With a growing distance between agriculture and the public, communicating changes and fostering public acceptance as crucial factors for the success of these changes has become challenging. There...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | Environmental Research Communications |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad219a |
| _version_ | 1797333550758887424 |
|---|---|
| author | Madita Olvermann Simone Kauffeld |
| author_facet | Madita Olvermann Simone Kauffeld |
| author_sort | Madita Olvermann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Multiple sectors, including agriculture, are subject to decarbonization and wide-ranging system changes. With a growing distance between agriculture and the public, communicating changes and fostering public acceptance as crucial factors for the success of these changes has become challenging. Therefore, understanding public attitudes towards emerging system changes in unfamiliar sectors helps identify appropriate communication strategies and provides information about possible responses from different stakeholders. To address the scarcity of studies on system changes in agriculture and their acceptability, a multidimensional evaluation of attitudes was undertaken using a factorial survey to test the utility of value-congruent information for enhancing positive attitudes. Electrical field cultivation (EFC) served as a case example for one potential energy system change in agriculture. The data were collected via an open scientific survey panel in Germany ( N = 300) using a written vignette in the form of a newspaper article; different benefit foci and hypotheses were tested using path analysis. Although the different benefit foci did not reveal significant differences, problem awareness and knowledge were found to predict positive attitudes toward EFC. For once, results highlight the need to foster overall problem awareness for fossil fuels to garner public support for various pathways. Additionally, results underscore the perceived lack of personal affectedness by transition pathways as a barrier to responding to communication strategies, specifically in unfamiliar sectors such as agriculture. The study outlines the need for stakeholders to design communication strategies under consideration of fostering personal affectedness and overall problem understanding. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T08:06:35Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-70bb44bed7bf461d8a0c70122ec17b00 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2515-7620 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T08:06:35Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Communications |
| spelling | doaj.art-70bb44bed7bf461d8a0c70122ec17b002024-02-02T10:41:22ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Communications2515-76202024-01-016202500110.1088/2515-7620/ad219aEnergy system changes in the agricultural sector: testing a value-congruent communication approach to foster positive attitudesMadita Olvermann0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7063-930XSimone Kauffeld1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4158-5266Department of Industrial/Organizational and Social Psychology, TU Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 19, 38106 Braunschweig, GermanyDepartment of Industrial/Organizational and Social Psychology, TU Braunschweig, Spielmannstraße 19, 38106 Braunschweig, GermanyMultiple sectors, including agriculture, are subject to decarbonization and wide-ranging system changes. With a growing distance between agriculture and the public, communicating changes and fostering public acceptance as crucial factors for the success of these changes has become challenging. Therefore, understanding public attitudes towards emerging system changes in unfamiliar sectors helps identify appropriate communication strategies and provides information about possible responses from different stakeholders. To address the scarcity of studies on system changes in agriculture and their acceptability, a multidimensional evaluation of attitudes was undertaken using a factorial survey to test the utility of value-congruent information for enhancing positive attitudes. Electrical field cultivation (EFC) served as a case example for one potential energy system change in agriculture. The data were collected via an open scientific survey panel in Germany ( N = 300) using a written vignette in the form of a newspaper article; different benefit foci and hypotheses were tested using path analysis. Although the different benefit foci did not reveal significant differences, problem awareness and knowledge were found to predict positive attitudes toward EFC. For once, results highlight the need to foster overall problem awareness for fossil fuels to garner public support for various pathways. Additionally, results underscore the perceived lack of personal affectedness by transition pathways as a barrier to responding to communication strategies, specifically in unfamiliar sectors such as agriculture. The study outlines the need for stakeholders to design communication strategies under consideration of fostering personal affectedness and overall problem understanding.https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad219aagricultureenergy transitionsystem changesvaluesbenefit framingpublic perception |
| spellingShingle | Madita Olvermann Simone Kauffeld Energy system changes in the agricultural sector: testing a value-congruent communication approach to foster positive attitudes Environmental Research Communications agriculture energy transition system changes values benefit framing public perception |
| title | Energy system changes in the agricultural sector: testing a value-congruent communication approach to foster positive attitudes |
| title_full | Energy system changes in the agricultural sector: testing a value-congruent communication approach to foster positive attitudes |
| title_fullStr | Energy system changes in the agricultural sector: testing a value-congruent communication approach to foster positive attitudes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Energy system changes in the agricultural sector: testing a value-congruent communication approach to foster positive attitudes |
| title_short | Energy system changes in the agricultural sector: testing a value-congruent communication approach to foster positive attitudes |
| title_sort | energy system changes in the agricultural sector testing a value congruent communication approach to foster positive attitudes |
| topic | agriculture energy transition system changes values benefit framing public perception |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/ad219a |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT maditaolvermann energysystemchangesintheagriculturalsectortestingavaluecongruentcommunicationapproachtofosterpositiveattitudes AT simonekauffeld energysystemchangesintheagriculturalsectortestingavaluecongruentcommunicationapproachtofosterpositiveattitudes |