Scientists Communicating with the Public

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Issues in Science and Technology     

Mental Models for Scientists Communicating With the Public

KARA MORGAN, BARUCH FISCHHOFF

Scientists regularly fret about misinformation and disinformation and bemoan public innumeracy and scientific illiteracy. Some scientists try to set the record straight through traditional communication efforts, often with disappointing results. In frustration, scientists may become eager consumers of the “deficit model,” which emphasizes the public’s lack of knowledge and biased judgments. But blaming the public for such a disconnect absolves scientists of their responsibility to provide people with the information they need. Instead, scientists and their institutions, should embrace evidence-based models of communication with the public. One well-tested model is risk communication, which is the exchange of information for the purpose of making a good decision about a potential harm.  ... '