Science is a reliable way to learn information. With science, we can interrogate old ideas, test whether findings can be explained on a larger scale, and build predictions that anyone with the same instruments can verify. But what if I told you that scientists are just as susceptible to illogical thinking as anyone else? You might not be surprised – after all, scientists are human.
The intriguing complexities of human thought and communication are what drove me to pursue my field of study, science communication. I wanted to learn why people perceive and talk about science and medicine so differently.
Social movements supporting science can, ironically, make the politicization of science worse, as people see a certain demographic identifying with and fighting for science. Photo by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash
The science communication field brings together social science theories from several different fields, like political science, psychology, and mass communication theory. Here are a few of my favorite theories that have informed science communication, complete with a few examples.
Confirmation bias
Big Picture: We all tend to seek out information that supports our preconceived notions. Liberals and conservatives alike fall prey to this phenomenon.
Example: Your values, rather than science, will determine your opinion about climate change. (This also means that liberals are more likely to buy into catastrophizing about climate change.)
Takeaway: No one is exempt from confirmation bias – make sure to critique your information sources and keep an open mind.
Risk communication and risk perception
Big picture: Whereas experts, like weather forecasters, tend to portray risks in terms of percentages (5% chance of a tornado), non-experts think of risk entirely differently. Risk perceptions are based on things like familiarity, personal control, voluntariness, timing, trust in institutions, amount of media coverage, and other factors. People can also have emotional reactions that amplify their perceptions of risk.
Example: Previous experience with extreme weather events and negative feelings about climate change are strong predictors of people’s attitudes about climate change risk.
Takeaways for communication: Statistics alone don’t work when conveying risk. To effectively communicate risk, get to know the groups you’re talking to. Also, if people disagree about risk, they are not illogical – we all have different perspectives about how much risk we want to tolerate, and we our risk perceptions might vary depending on the topic.
We all perceive risks differently, so there is no one-size-fits-all way to convey risks. Photo by Loic Leray on Unsplash
Dual Processes for Learning Information
Big picture: In dual process theory, system 1 is intuitive and automatic (having conversations, listening to a podcast), and system 2 is slow and deliberate (e.g., taking notes while reading a book). System 2 processing results in longer-term memories, but we all spend a vast majority of our time in system 1.
Example: Climate education can take up as little as an hour per school year for a lot of schools (according to a 2016 study). If schools are places where people tend to activate system 2 processing, there may be questions of how different topics should be prioritized.
Takeaways for communication: We are all easily influenced via system 1 processing, and we should not blame others for falling prey to persuasive messages they learn via system 1. Instead, we should create opportunities for system 2 processing and pay attention to which messages we (and others) might be receiving through system 1, which can still be persuasive.
Spiral of silence
Big picture: The spiral of silence happens any time ideas are shared among large groups of people, like local and national news and debates or social media. If we feel like our personal opinions are not supported by the majority, we tend to fall silent, leading to a spiral of silence where less “popular” ideas are less spoken about.
Example: Some have described self-censorship in government bodies around saying the words “climate change” as a spiral of silence. The spiral of silence is helpful for thinking about the social pressures people feel to discuss climate change a certain way.
Takeaways for communication: Social pressure is powerful, and can encourage people to either speak up or fall silent about a topic of national importance. Secondly, we should remember that our own perceptions of the majority can be false and should be further investigated. There might appear to be a majority, but others out there might have similar opinions to ours and might be holding back their opinions as well.
Hostile media effect
Big Picture: The world can seem like a much scarier, more violent, more problematic place than it actually is because the news media tend to focus more heavily on sensational and newsworthy stories. (Otherwise, they would lose viewers.) This can lead people to worry about the state of the world and believe that the negatives outweigh the positives.
Example: The hostile media effect can dampen climate activism among political moderates and can amplify climate doom and anxiety.
Takeaway: If you’re feeling depressed about the news, remember to explore the reality of news depictions, and give yourself a break from news if you’re feeling overwhelmed.
Misinformation
Big Picture: Misinformation is propagated because, like sensational news, it stirs a stronger emotional response, leading it to spread faster than neutral information.
Example: Inoculation against misinformation usually works – it should be done quickly, by a reputable source, in language that is understandable and relatable to the audience.
Takeaway: We should be supporting efforts to correct misinformation, because corrections can work well when done correctly.
In sum, these theories and ideas can help us understand why people might have difficulty discussing science topics. It’s important to remember that biases, system 1 processing, and media depictions can impact us all. We should pay close attention to our own thinking, and give others a little leeway for seeing the world differently.
Early Career Climate Network 