Numbers Are Persuasive—If Used in Moderation

Despite high levels of innumeracy and math anxiety, people often appreciate numeric data.

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The facts of climate change are widely reported. NASA notes, for example, that with a two-degree-Celsius increase in global temperatures, as compared with a 1.5-degree-C increase, about 61 million more people living in urban areas around the world will be exposed to severe drought. In addition, the U.S. alone could lose 2.3 percent of its gross domestic product for each degree-C increase in global warming.

The problem with communicating these numbers, however, is that many people balk when confronting them. Math anxiety—the experience of tension, fear or apprehension when confronting mathematical problems—and innumeracy—the inability to understand and employ numerical concepts—are both quite common. (For the numerically curious: about a third of working-age Americans struggle with simple numeric processes.)

This reality creates a significant challenge when discussing climate change and other complex topics. If people get anxious when they see numbers, should you use them to give perspective on climate science? Or will that cause people to turn away? In a series of studies, we set out to answer those questions. Our findings reveal that numbers have persuasive power—but they need to be employed with care to compel action. The lessons we learned can help not only climate advocates but anyone hoping to draw on data to sway their audience.

The above article was recently published in Scientific American. Click here to read the full article there.