Communicating certainty via verbal probability phrases: comparing health contexts with no context.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Medical professionals often use verbal phrases to communicate uncertainties and certainties with their patients and the general public.

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate factors that can influence people's interpretation of probability phrases of certainty and uncertainty communicated by doctors in health and medical settings.

Methods

An experimental study with a randomized factorial design was conducted to examine both context-related factors and individual difference factors on participants' interpretation across directions of phrases and frames of the context.

Results

Context significantly influenced participants' interpretation of probability phrases regardless of their level of certainty. Participants' self-reported prior beliefs were

SUBMITTER: Shou Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11745002 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature