Fostering ocean empathy through future scenarios,\u201d<\/a> used both virtual reality and written formats to give participants two differing scenarios about the future of the oceans: one describing a future of environmental sustainability and social equality; and another describing a world dominated by resurgent nationalism, regional conflicts and environmental degradation.<\/p>\n\u201cOur results showed that post-test empathy levels were significantly higher than pre-test levels,\u201d said Jessica Blythe, Assistant Professor in Brock\u2019s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC). \u201cIn other words, future scenarios fostered ocean empathy. We also found the pessimistic scenario resulted in higher empathy compared to the optimistic scenario.\u201d<\/p>\n
While seeing the future scenarios impacted participants\u2019 feelings toward oceans, the research team\u2019s findings, published last month in the journal People and Nature<\/em>, show little difference between the virtual reality and written formats.<\/p>\n\u201cAs one of the first studies to demonstrate the influence of an intervention purposefully designed to build ocean empathy, the research presents a novel approach for supporting ocean sustainability,\u201d said Blythe.<\/p>\n
In addition to Blythe, the research was co-authored by Gary Pickering, Brock Professor of Biological Sciences and Psychology; Julia Baird, Canada Research Chair in Human Dimensions of Water Resources and Water Resilience and Associate Professor in the ESRC and the Department of Geography and Tourism Studies; Brock ESRC Postdoctoral Fellow Gillian Dale; Nathan Bennet from The Peopled Seas Initiative; Kirsty Nash from the Centre for Marine Socioecology and Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at the University of Tasmania; and Colette Wabnitz from the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries at the University of British Columbia and Stanford\u2019s Centre for Ocean Solutions.<\/p>\n
The research team produced a video summarizing the research which can be seen here:<\/strong><\/p>\n