Numeric social-media posts engage people with climate science.

Area of Science:

• Climate Science Communication
• Social Media Analysis
• Psychology of Numeracy

Background:

• Public's math avoidance (innumeracy) often deters climate communicators from using numerical data.
• However, data suggests people prefer numbers, and their inclusion can improve decision-making.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of incorporating numerical data (Arabic integers) into climate change social media content on public engagement and perception.
• To explore the psychological mechanisms underlying the effects of numerical precision in climate communication.

Main Methods:

• Two observational studies analyzed climate scientists' posts on Twitter and climate-related content on Reddit, examining the effect of numeric vs. non-numeric content on sharing and liking.
• A within-participant experiment (N=212) tested how describing climate consequences with Arabic integers versus verbal terms affected sharing, information seeking, trust, and emotional response.

Main Results:

• Observational studies showed numeric climate content increased sharing by up to 31.7% but decreased liking by 5.2%.
• Experimental results indicated numeric descriptions of climate consequences boosted sharing, information seeking, and trust in the messenger.
• Both studies found that numerical precision, while increasing engagement, also led to more negative emotional responses, likely due to the stark magnitude of climate threats.

Conclusions:

• The strategic use of numbers in climate change communication can enhance message dissemination, audience trust, and perceived expertise.
• While numerical data increases engagement, communicators must address the potential for negative emotions by pairing data with actionable solutions to foster self-efficacy and prevent inaction.