Fostering personal engagement with energy transition pathways through empathic-collaborative communication

Abstract Background Previous research has highlighted the crucial role of engaging individuals in energy transitions. In particular, a research stream on climate change communication highlights the potential of interpersonal change conversations in effectively engaging individuals. At the same time, knowledge on the most effective communication in these conversations from change agents and how it shapes individuals’ engagement in the context of energy transitions is comparatively lacking. To address this gap, the present study examines the potential of an empathic-collaborative communication approach based on Motivational Interviewing (MI) in fostering individuals’ personal engagement with transition pathways during one-on-one change conversations about electrical field cultivation as an unfamiliar energy transition pathway in the agricultural sector. Methods We tested our assumptions combining multiple data sources including a pre–post questionnaire on different dimensions of engagement and behavioral interaction coding of change conversations to provide comprehensive insights. Results The results support a universal effect of exploring the investigated transition pathway through conversations, independent of the communication style, fostering affective-cognitive engagement (interest in the agricultural sector). At the same time, a communication approach based on MI adds value by improving individuals’ change in attitudes (benefit perception of transition pathway). This supports the effectiveness of verbalized personal engagement as a crucial element of motivational interviewing, resulting in heightened cognitive engagement. Lastly, the results suggest that the MI-based communication methods used by change agents stimulate beneficial change talk from conversation partners about the futuristic energy transition pathway. Conclusions This study provides implications for the benefits of employing change conversations and specifically an empathic-collaborative communication approach used in these conversations in targeting individual’s engagement in the political setting and energy context, and discusses potential future research avenues. Even brief interventions in change agents’ communication style to changes in the wake of future pathways are fruitful and should be applied across diverse practical settings.