Promoting Concern for Climate Change: A Study of Wildfire Photographs Using Q Methodology

This study employs Q methodology to identify responses to wildfire imagery and climate change concern. Using photographs shared on Twitter during California's 2018 Camp Fire, findings reveal three different perspectives on what images evoked the most concern among individuals: catastrophic destruction, smokescapes, and human or animal suffering. Results also reveal the images that evoke the least concern, such as scenes of aid and support and officials' rescue meetings. These results extend literature on the role of visuals in climate change communication and have implications for the selection of images that appeal to the various perspectives of the broader public.

Automated summary

This study uses Q methodology to identify different responses to wildfire imagery and climate change concern, revealing three main perspectives on what images individuals are most concerned about. The findings suggest that there is variation in the level of concern for different types of images, including catastrophic destruction, smokescapes, human or animal suffering, as well as scenes of aid and support and officials' rescue meetings. These results contribute to the literature on visual communication of climate change and have implications for selecting images that appeal to diverse perspectives in the wider public.