Welcome back to the blog!
If you remember, last week we were discussing about environmental films and how we can make use of psychology to make them even more effective at promoting environmentalism.
As I read up about psychology and the environment, I stumbled across the term “overview effect”. The feeling of awe can impact our psychology in a number of ways (Yaden et al, 2016), such as influencing our attitudes and beliefs (Chirico et al, 2018).
White (Cited by Voski 2020) described it as a “cognitive shift in awareness” experienced by astronauts when they saw earth from space and it created “a renewed sense of responsibility for taking care of the environment”.
It may be impossible for us to experience the overview effect firsthand, since we’re unlikely able to afford to fly to space any time soon. Instead, try imagining a time you were awestruck: perhaps you attended a live concert of your favourite artist or you witnessed an amazing basketball dunk in a live game. After that experience, maybe you got inspired to be a musician or an athlete – a cognitive shift.
The overview effect is that, but multiplied manyfolds.
One astronaut said that IMAX films would be the next closest thing to experiencing this “Overview effect” on earth (Anaïs Voski, 2020). Now you may think “Ok, so we should make more environmental films using IMAX technology to replicate this overview effect, right?”
You’re catching on, but why stop there? IMAX films brought immersion to new heights, but now 4D and virtual reality technology have once again risen the bar. Perhaps you can already see where I am going with this idea.
Imagine if we are able to create a pseudo overview effect using 4D or virtual reality technology. Although the technology is still relatively new, there are reasons to believe the use of it is effective at creating major feelings of awe (Chirico et al, 2018)
Actually, there is more to this idea than just replicating the overview effect. Unfortunately, climate change and environmental impacts do discriminate. When we hear of an environmental crisis happening far away, the issue may feel distant and hence it is not our top priority to fix it. With the implementation of our current immersion technology, that brings the impacts closer to home and highlights how serious they are in a more tangible manner compared to speeches or data numbers.
Not living on the coast so flooding from global warming is not a cause for concern? Try experiencing the floods in Venice.
Haven’t thought about how much waste you generate on a daily? Might think twice after standing on a mountain of trash the average human generates annually.
By making use of technology in conjunction with film, those who would not be impacted significantly by environmental issues will have a glimpse of the consequences from our anthropogenic activities. After experiencing our environmental issues through this immersive technology, perhaps we can change the mindset of those who treat it lightly.
I hope you found this wild concept interesting! Stay tuned next week as I explore other ways we can make use of human psychology to promote environmentalism.
Hi Jia Wei!
I think that the “Overview effect” is very interesting as I think it’s like when they say that your whole life changes because of something you experienced, which is super cool. It also sounds possible that we could use this and technology to get people to care more about the environment, but I think that people would have to firstly, be aware of environmental issues and secondly, be willing to be exposed to it, right? I also wanted to ask: what about if people forget it even after they experience the awe? I honestly couldn’t remember which movies were about which rights after a while oops, even though I felt many emotions while watching them. So, like your post on social media, what if people just move on? I would really like to hear your thoughts on if you think that it is possible to make people really see the state of the environment and act through the use of immersive technology.
Hope to hear from you soon!
~Rayzel
Hi Rayzel,
When it comes to getting people to try out this new film immersion, the most important aspect would be the marketing of it. Those already involved actively in the environmental scene would be attracted to the idea, but for the unaware and even naysayers it will take some convincing. Novelty plays a big part in drawing an audience. If environmental films are the first to start using this approach, the “wow factor” will be maximised and even naysayers might be willing to try just for the sake of a new experience.
With regards to actually remembering the message of a movie, I understand that feeling! Although we may be passionate and relate to the messages in the film, we may not remember it very clearly afterwards. Unfortunately, it may be very hard to fix this in fast-paced societies (where I imagine are the ones most likely to utilise this concept). We are constantly bombarded with information and it makes it difficult for us to recall specific ones.
We occasional hear stories of how some people had a life-changing experience (like witnessing marine animals trapped by plastic waste in the ocean) that inspired them and made them dedicate their life to mitigate the issue. If our immersive technology is successful enough, it could theoretically have the same effect and this means that people will not simply just move on and forget about the message.
Wow, your blog is something else, Jia Wei !
This is super interesting.
Here’s a study that might interest you.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6286991/
At the same time, I’ve read an alternate argument, the one that certain forms of contact with Nature can condition people to perceive wildlife or other elements of Nature as exotic and awe-inspiring – they can in turn fail to recognise that biodiversity is all around us, and we are part of Nature, not apart from it.
This is a research Q I’m interested in, tbh. Especially whether urbanites differ from non-urbanites in their tendency to view Nature with a sense of wonder and how that ties into their willingness to conserve.
Hi Dr. Coleman,
That study is very interesting, and I believe helps to explain how the “overview effect” is able to promote environmentalism. I like the hypothesis that being awed by Nature causes us to feel less dominant over it, and hence we become less likely to exploit it for our own gains.
I believe the alternative argument is also very valid. There is a psychological trap that only the exotic and awe-inspiring need to be protected when biodiversity encompasses much more than the fancy and beautiful. There is a real need for proper environmental education so that individuals recognise that biodiversity is prevalent everywhere, and all forms deserve proper appreciation. However, I believe that having these awe-inspiring experiences with Nature is a pivotal turning point for many, and this inspiration can be guided to learning about their own local biodiversity.
Recently, I took part in BES Dronggo’s MacRitchie Petai trail as a nature guide-in-training. In order to be a guide, I had to first learn about the wildlife there. While doing so, I realised how the seemingly uninteresting plants actually have such ingenious adaptations and symbiotic relationships with other organisms. This new experience was a very fruitful and eye-opening one, and I managed to pass down some of the new knowledge I acquired to participants of the guided trail. The participants received it well, and were visibly amazed by some of the new facts they learnt. I believe such guided trails are a very helpful form of environmental education, helping individuals understand that the “mundane” also has very amazing organisms and come to appreciate the biodiversity around them.
Thanks for this thoughtful reply ! Your personal experience as a Drongo might facilitate your exploration of this Q depending on your interest.