Cryptic but Reel: Using Social Psychology Principles in Educational Videos to Acquaint the Public with Cryptic Fishes

Authors: Taylor Ulrich, Scott Bonar

Year: 2018

Abstract

Desert fishes are cryptic, and infrequently seen by the public. Apathy of the public toward these fishes and their ecosystems hinders their conservation. Fortunately, advanced technological means to acquaint the public with these species is becoming increasingly common. High-definition underwater and aerial footage are now possible with affordable and user-friendly technology. We are creating low-cost, educational videography presentations featuring the unique and often rare desert fishes of Nevada and Death Valley. In these videos, we are testing the inclusion of various widely recognized social psychology principles to maximize presentation effectiveness. Low cost technology, especially when combined with the use of easy to include psychological principles, may provide spectacular visual results and could potentially serve as an effective tool to acquaint the public with rare desert fishes. After multiple rounds of testing, viewers’ knowledge significantly improved after viewing such videos, p <0.001. Here, we will present results from this research of testing the relationship between the inclusion of social psychology principles and their impact on viewers’ learning outcomes and endorsement of a “pro-ecological” world view.