Transparent communication of evidence does not undermine public trust in evidence.

ABSTRACT: Does clear and transparent communication of risks, benefits, and uncertainties increase or undermine public trust in scientific information that people use to guide their decision-making? We examined the impact of reframing messages written in traditional persuasive style to align instead with recent "evidence communication" principles, aiming to inform decision-making: communicating a balance of risks and benefits, disclosing uncertainties and evidence quality, and prebunking misperceptions. In two pre-registered experiments, UK participants read either a persuasive message or a balanced and informative message adhering to evidence communication recommendations about COVID-19 vaccines (Study 1) or nuclear power plants (Study 2). We find that balanced messages are either perceived as trust

SUBMITTER: Kerr JR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9802351 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature