Communication Strategies to Initiate and Sustain Catastrophe Compassion

Science communication has the potential to influence whether people respond to catastrophic disasters with selfishness or prosociality. Compassion-feelings of concern for another’s undeserved suffering and the desire to minimize it-is invaluable for communities as they recover. This chapter describes how science communication can be used to initiate and sustain compassion during and after catastrophic events. By reflecting on recent examples-natural disasters, targeted acts of violence, and the refugee displacement crisis-the chapter will illustrate how appeals to compassion can trigger the mechanisms of emotion, efficacy, and reciprocity to drive altruistic actions.