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Using Geovisualizations to Educate the Public About Environmental Health Hazards: What Works and Why
Catherine E Slavik1,2, Carolyn Fish3, Ellen Peters4,5,6
1Center for Science Communication Research, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA. cslavik@uoregon.edu.
Current Environmental Health Reports
|September 25, 2024
Summary
Effective geovisualizations can improve public understanding of environmental health risks. Designing maps with cognitive science principles, like using salient cues and aiding pattern recognition, enhances environmental health literacy.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Health Communication
- Geographic Information Science
Background:
- Public awareness of environmental health risks is vital for minimizing exposure.
- Geographic visualizations (geovisualizations) are common tools for communicating environmental hazards via maps.
- Ineffective geovisualizations can lead to misinterpretations of risks and misguided actions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review key considerations for using geovisualizations to enhance environmental health literacy.
- To identify evidence-based strategies for designing effective geovisualizations for risk communication.
Main Methods:
- Narrative review synthesizing evidence from cognitive sciences, cartography, and environmental health.
- Analysis of how design choices in geovisualizations impact comprehension and decision-making.
Main Results:
- Conventional geovisualizations often neglect human visual information processing.
- Design strategies leveraging attention, memory, and emotion can improve comprehension.
- Six recommended strategies: display key data, tailor/test with audience, use salient cues, leverage emotion, aid pattern recognition, limit distractions.
Conclusions:
- Evidence-based design principles can significantly improve geovisualizations for environmental health literacy.
- Geovisualizations can advance public awareness and proactive measures for environmental health challenges.
- Further interdisciplinary experimental research is needed to evaluate geovisualizations.
Keywords:
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