Seeing is Believing

Images can lead to action on complex problems

By Lisa Nehring

In a recent study conducted on Character Lab Research Network, my colleagues and I found that using photos combined with informational text can lead to a greater sense of appreciation for biodiversity. Participants who saw these photos showing the consequences of biodiversity loss—for example, a koala in the middle of a clear-cut forest—acted differently because of it, choosing to donate more money to an environmental organization. 

We can’t solve big, scary problems in a day, but photos can spur an otherwise hard-to-start conversation with kids. Begin with the concrete, the what. What do you notice in the photograph? Then move to the why. Why do you think this is happening? You don’t have to know the answers—you can seek them together. Finally, the how. How might things be different? How can you be a part of that shift?