Many of the issues we face today are fundamentally global in nature, and therefore require a global approach to solving them.  This can render them abstract and difficult to appreciate at a local level, which can hamper attempts to elicit the kind of changes required.  A recent study from Cornell University explores the kind of things that tend to be most effective in encouraging interest in big issues, even when they appear remote and distant from one’s day to day life.

The researchers examined various types of evidence highlighting the scale of the problem.  Sometimes, this evidence consisted of statistics highlighting the magnitude of the problem, other times percentages were used.  A series of experiments were set up to test each approach against one another to see which was most effective at eliciting engagement and action.

Generating interest

Volunteers in the research received a number of emails attempting to solicit both interest and donations to a healthcare charity in New York.  The emails contained a combination of case studies, various forms of percentages, and even raw numbers highlighting the problems faced by people who are uninsured and therefore can’t afford healthcare.

When the response data was analyzed, it emerged that both percentage-based messaging and human-interest based evidence were effective at driving engagement, but messages talking about the scale of the problem did not.

“When you talk about the millions of children who are starving, or the millions of refugees who are seeking out a better life, it fails to have this emotional connection that tends to then motivate people to pay more attention and to become engaged,” the authors reveal.

The key, the authors suggest, is to ensure that people’s heartstrings are pulled on.  Sometimes this can be done with statistical evidence, sometimes a personal story can do the trick, but capturing the emotions of the reader is key to soliciting a response.