Affect or information? : examining drivers of public preferences of future energy portfolios in Switzerland

Jobin, Marilou; Visschers, Vivianne H.M.; van Vliet, Oscar P.R.; Árvai, Joseph; Siegrist, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.erss.2019.01.016

Publication type:	Article in scientific journal
Type of review:	Peer review (publication)
Title:	Affect or information? : examining drivers of public preferences of future energy portfolios in Switzerland
Authors:	Jobin, Marilou Visschers, Vivianne H.M. van Vliet, Oscar P.R. Árvai, Joseph Siegrist, Michael
et. al:	No
DOI:	10.1016/j.erss.2019.01.016 10.3929/ethz-b-000331047
Published in:	Energy Research & Social Science
Volume(Issue):	52
Page(s):	20
Pages to:	29
Issue Date:	Jun-2019
Publisher / Ed. Institution:	Elsevier
ISSN:	2214-6296 2214-6326
Language:	English
Subjects:	Affect; Decision support system; Electricity mix; Energy portfolio preference
Subject (DDC):	333.79: Energy
Abstract:	The energy transition in Switzerland, as in many other countries, aims to increase the proportion of electricity produced using renewable energy technologies. In this context, governmental agencies and other institutions have attempted to communicate the implications of (domestic) electricity systems through the use of web-based and interactive decision support systems (DSSs). Studies show that, when no additional information is provided, preferences concerning the future electricity mix are mainly driven by the affective reactions that energy technologies evoke. A question remains, however, regarding how people engage with the information provided in a DSS, as well as whether such information is influential in terms of shaping people’s choices. We asked our participants to build an electricity portfolio using a DSS, which modeled the Swiss electricity system. The participants’ political orientation and their affective reactions to different energy technologies guided their information search, as well as the choice of energy technologies within their portfolio. The attention paid to the information provided was not directly related to the participants’ portfolio choices. The selective processing of information, which was based on the participants’ prior attitudes, suggests that they target information they are already familiar with in the DSS. However, this also illustrates a caveat previously identified in motivated political reasoning, since selective information processing, together with the tendency to disconfirm information that is incongruent with prior beliefs, can lead to the polarization of previously held views. As the information provided through the DSS we tested was unable to change the participants’ affective-cognitive evaluation of energy technologies, its use should be carefully considered in light of the possible effects of consolidating existing beliefs.
URI:	https://digitalcollection.zhaw.ch/handle/11475/20201
Fulltext version:	Published version
License (according to publishing contract):	Licence according to publishing contract
Departement:	School of Management and Law
Organisational Unit:	Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IIE)
Appears in collections:	Publikationen School of Management and Law

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Jobin, M., Visschers, V. H. M., van Vliet, O. P. R., Árvai, J., & Siegrist, M. (2019). Affect or information? : examining drivers of public preferences of future energy portfolios in Switzerland. Energy Research & Social Science, 52, 20–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2019.01.016

Jobin, M. et al. (2019) ‘Affect or information? : examining drivers of public preferences of future energy portfolios in Switzerland’, Energy Research & Social Science, 52, pp. 20–29. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2019.01.016.

M. Jobin, V. H. M. Visschers, O. P. R. van Vliet, J. Árvai, and M. Siegrist, “Affect or information? : examining drivers of public preferences of future energy portfolios in Switzerland,” Energy Research & Social Science, vol. 52, pp. 20–29, Jun. 2019, doi: 10.1016/j.erss.2019.01.016.

JOBIN, Marilou, Vivianne H.M. VISSCHERS, Oscar P.R. VAN VLIET, Joseph ÁRVAI und Michael SIEGRIST, 2019. Affect or information? : examining drivers of public preferences of future energy portfolios in Switzerland. Energy Research & Social Science. Juni 2019. Bd. 52, S. 20–29. DOI 10.1016/j.erss.2019.01.016

Jobin, Marilou, Vivianne H.M. Visschers, Oscar P.R. van Vliet, Joseph Árvai, and Michael Siegrist. 2019. “Affect or Information? : Examining Drivers of Public Preferences of Future Energy Portfolios in Switzerland.” Energy Research & Social Science 52 (June): 20–29. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2019.01.016.

Jobin, Marilou, et al. “Affect or Information? : Examining Drivers of Public Preferences of Future Energy Portfolios in Switzerland.” Energy Research & Social Science, vol. 52, June 2019, pp. 20–29, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2019.01.016.