Earthquake risk perception: A picture is worth a thousand stats
Realistic images can be more effective than statistical data for persuading people to take action in support of seismic upgrades to schools, new University of British Columbia research suggests. Seismic engineers and psychologists from UBC teamed up with a visual artist to create an image showing what a Vancouver elementary school would look like after a major earthquake. Then, the researchers used two groups of study participants to test the effectiveness of imagery versus statistics in conveying the risk posed by earthquakes. When presented with the opportunity to sign a petition in support of accelerating seismic upgrading of local schools, people who had seen the image were more likely to sign. They signed up at a rate of 77.3 per cent, compared to just 68 per cent of the group who saw only statistics. “Using vivid images to convey scientific information can motivate the public to take action,” said Iris Lok, a UBC...