scholarly journals Examining the relationship between gene editing knowledge, value predispositions, and general science attitudes among U.S. farmers, scientists, policymakers, and the general public

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (02) ◽  
pp. A02
Author(s):  
Christopher Calabrese ◽  
Jieyu Ding Featherstone ◽  
Matthew Robbins ◽  
George A. Barnett
Keyword(s):  
General Public ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Science Attitudes ◽  
Factual Knowledge ◽  
General Science ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
The Relationship

Science communication scholars have debated over what factors are related to public support for science and technology. This study examines the relationship between factual knowledge of gene editing technologies, value predispositions, and general science attitudes among four major U.S. agricultural stakeholder groups: farmers, scientists, policymakers, and the general public. Understanding these factors will aid in guiding message strategies for engagement with stakeholder groups. Findings indicate that gene editing knowledge was positively associated with science attitudes for all four groups, while conservative ideology was negatively associated with science attitudes among three of the groups. Implications and limitations are discussed.

scholarly journals 124 Creating Greater Public Understanding of Dementia: Findings on the Impact of a Coalition-led National Awareness Programme

2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii17-iii65
Author(s):  
Fiona Foley ◽  
Roisin Guiry
Keyword(s):  
Risk Reduction ◽  
General Public ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Campaign Evaluation ◽  
News Stories ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Tv Commercials ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Dementia Understand Together is a public support, awareness and stigma reduction campaign aimed at inspiring people from all sections of society to stand together with the 55,000 Irish people living with dementia. Led by the HSE working with The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and Genio it is supported by over 40 partner organisations and 230+ community champions, who are creating communities that actively embrace and include those living with dementia and their families. Methods The campaign uses personal testimonial TV commercials, radio advertising, social media and national and local news stories to build understanding among the general public about dementia. At a local level the campaign is growing a movement of people who are taking action to creative inclusive communities across Ireland. Extensive research using national biennial public surveys (2016 and 2018) (N=1003) and campaign evaluation tools has and continues to inform the development and progression of the campaign. Results 33% of respondents described themselves as knowing a lot about dementia, up from 24% in January 2016. There was a significant difference in attitudes between those who were aware of the campaign and those who were not. Dementia risk reduction is a key message of the national campaign and 52% of respondents were aware that there are things they can do to potentially reduce their risk – up from 46% in 2016. 59% who saw the TV campaign said they were impacted in some way as a result of the personal stories featured and stated that they took some action, such as calling into a friend. Conclusion The development and implementation of the campaign is a partnership approach between the leading organisations working in the area of dementia. Findings show that the campaign is creating better understanding of dementia among the general public, increasing awareness of the condition and risk reduction, and is inspiring people to take actions.

scholarly journals Introduction: From “The Popularization of Science through Film” to “The Public Understanding of Science”

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Vidal
Keyword(s):  
Science Communication ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Public Understanding Of Science ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Deficit Model ◽  
The Public ◽  
Popularization Of Science ◽  
History Of ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
The Relationship

Science in film, and usual equivalents such asscience on filmorscience on screen, refer to the cinematographic representation, staging, and enactment of actors, information, and processes involved in any aspect or dimension of science and its history. Of course, boundaries are blurry, and films shot as research tools or documentation also display science on screen. Nonetheless, they generally count asscientific film, andscience inandon filmorscreentend to designate productions whose purpose is entertainment and education. Moreover, these two purposes are often combined, and inherently concern empirical, methodological, and conceptual challenges associated withpopularization,science communication, and thepublic understanding of science. It is in these areas that the notion of thedeficit modelemerged to designate a point of view and a mode of understanding, as well as a set of practical and theoretical problems about the relationship between science and the public.

scholarly journals Perceptions of alien plants and animals and acceptance of control methods among different societal groups

NeoBiota ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 58 ◽  
pp. 33-54
Author(s):  
Raphael Höbart ◽  
Stefan Schindler ◽  
Franz Essl
Keyword(s):  
Alien Species ◽  
General Public ◽  
Public Perception ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Invasive Alien Species ◽  
Public Support ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Stakeholder Groups ◽  
Lethal Management ◽  
Negative Impacts

Biological invasions are a widespread phenomenon and cause substantial impacts on the natural environment and human livelihoods. Thus, the European Union (EU) recently adopted Regulation No 1143/2014 to limit the negative impacts of invasive alien species (IAS). For implementing IAS management and policies, public support is highly and increasingly important, especially when it comes to charismatic species and lethal methods. Recognising the importance of the interaction of public perception with acceptance of IAS management methods, we used an online survey targeting three different stakeholder groups in Austria to evaluate potential differences in perception of IAS and management methods. In total, we received 239 completed responses: 20 nature users (farmers, hunters), 91 nature experts (conservationists, biologists) and 128 from the general public. Participants were more likely to accept lethal management methods when it was an IAS. Nature experts’ acceptance of IAS management methods was rather similar to those of nature users, while the general public preferred non-lethal methods. Chemical lethal methods (herbicides, poison pellets) received low rates of acceptance throughout all stakeholder groups, although nature users were more open to accept such methods for plants. Most respondents (> 50%) were not aware of the role of the EU in IAS topics nor did they know of the existence of the EUIAS regulation 1143/2014. However, more than 75% of respondents agreed that IAS measures and regulations should be implemented at EU level. This study shows that knowledge about native versus invasive alien status has an influence on the acceptance of management methods. Nature users may have higher levels of acceptance of lethal methods because they are economically dependent on extracting resources from nature. Invasive alien species regulations on EU level are generally acceptable, but there is low awareness for actions already undertaken EU.

scholarly journals Does media exposure relate to the illusion of knowing in the public understanding of climate change?

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 94-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaodong Yang ◽  
Liang Chen ◽  
Shirley S. Ho
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Media Consumption ◽  
Factual Knowledge ◽  
Moderating Effects ◽  
Environmental Behaviors ◽  
The Public ◽  
Media Messages ◽  
Illusion Of Knowing ◽  
The Relationship

By acknowledging that people are cognitive misers, this study proposes that people may rely on the illusion of knowing as cognitive devices for attitudinal or behavioral change, in addition to factual knowledge. Accordingly, this study shifted the focus of inquiry from assessing media effects in increasing factual knowledge to assessing how media consumption relates to the illusion of knowing. Using a nationally door-to-door survey in Singapore ( N = 705), the results revealed that individuals’ attention to media messages about climate change and elaboration of these messages were positively related to the illusion of knowing. Furthermore, elaboration had moderating effects on the relationship between media attention and the illusion of knowing. These findings suggest that media consumption of climate change messages could drive the illusion of knowing, which is speculated to account for pro-environmental behaviors in addressing climate change. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

“Luxuries” in Prison: The Relationship Between Amenity Funding and Public Support

2002 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 499-525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nygel Lenz
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Research ◽  
General Public ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Research Project ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Relationship

During the 1990s, politicians and others successfully campaigned against prison amenities, arguing that prisons resemble country clubs and as such do not deter crime. They further contended that citizens did not want tax dollars used to finance inmate privileges. Despite this political claim, virtually no empirical research has been conducted to establish its validity. This research project compares the degree of citizen opposition to prison amenities as a function of perceptions regarding who pays for such amenities. Three different survey versions were mailed to the general public. The first informed citizens that inmates pay for their privileges, the second informed respondents that tax dollars are used to finance inmate privileges, and the third provided no information regarding funding. The findings suggest that who pays for prison amenities influences citizen willingness to support inmate access to prison amenities.

scholarly journals Learning without seeking?: Incidental exposure to science news on social media & knowledge of gene editing

2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (04) ◽  
pp. A01
Author(s):  
Joshua T. L. Anderson ◽  
Emily L. Howell ◽  
Michael A. Xenos ◽  
Dietram A. Scheufele ◽  
Dominique Brossard
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Gene Editing ◽  
Factual Knowledge ◽  
Network Heterogeneity ◽  
Incidental Exposure ◽  
Science News ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Media Environments ◽  
Interpersonal Discussion ◽  
The Relationship

Little is known about how incidental exposure to news, interpersonal discussion, and the diversity of social networks interact in social media environments and for science-related issues. Using a U.S. nationally representative survey, we investigate how these features relate to factual knowledge of gene editing. Incidental exposure to science-related news interacts with interpersonal discussion and network heterogeneity and reveals that the relationship between incidental exposure to news and knowledge is strongest among those who discuss the least. Incidental exposure could alleviate knowledge gaps between the Facebook users who are the most and least involved in interpersonal discussions about science.

scholarly journals The Nine Cancer Frames: A Tool to Facilitate Critical Reading of Cancer-Related Information

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Murray ◽  
Nina von Possel ◽  
Hanne C. Lie ◽  
Jarle Breivik
Keyword(s):  
Health Communication ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Analytical Tool ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Factual Knowledge ◽  
Critical Reading ◽  
Framing Analysis ◽  
Cancer Communication ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Cancer Literacy

AbstractPeople’s ability to critically assess cancer-related information is essential from a preventional and therapeutic, as well as a general democratic perspective. Such cancer literacy is not just about acquiring factual knowledge. It also involves the ability to analyze how the information is contextualized—how cancer is framed. Previous research concerning the framing of cancer in public discourse is voluminous and penetrating but also fragmented and inaccessible to non-experts. In this study, we have developed an integrated and applicable tool for analyzing cancer discourse by systematically classifying distinctive ways of framing of the concept of cancer. Building on previous research and an inductive framing analysis of a broad range of public cancer discourse, systematically selected from British and Norwegian newspapers, we have characterized nine cancer frames: the biomedical, the environmental, the epidemiological, the personal, the sociopolitical, the economic, the antagonistic, the alternative, and the symbolic frame. This framing scheme may be applied to analyze cancer-related discourse across a plurality of themes and contexts. We also show how different frames combine to produce more complex messages, thereby revealing underlying patterns, strategies, and conflicts in cancer communication. In conclusion, this analytical tool enables critical reading of cancer-related information and may be especially useful in educational initiatives to advance health communication and public understanding of cancer.

American Scientists’ Willingness to Use Different Communication Tactics

2021 ◽  
pp. 107554702110111
Author(s):  
John C. Besley ◽  
Todd P. Newman ◽  
Anthony Dudo ◽  
Leigh Anne Tiffany
Keyword(s):  
Research Universities ◽  
Science Communication ◽  
Careful Choice ◽  
American Research ◽  
Willingness To Use ◽  
The Relationship

The careful choice of tactics—such as specific messages, styles, channels, or sources—is how strategic science communicators ensure that the time and money going into communication results in intended changes to chosen audiences’ beliefs, feelings, and frames, as well as associated behaviors. Using a sample of scientists from American research universities ( N = 516), we assess scientists’ willingness to use 11 different communication tactics and the relationship between these tactics and potential predictors. We find that scientists are open to a range of communication tactics. Practical and theoretical implications for science communication are discussed.

By Popular Demand: The Effect of Public Opinion on Income Inequality

2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 261-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Andersen ◽  
Anthony Heath ◽  
David Weakliem
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Income Inequality ◽  
Instrumental Variables ◽  
Public Support ◽  
Reciprocal Causation ◽  
Low Incomes ◽  
The World ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Distribution Of Income

AbstractThis paper examines the relationship between public support for wage differentials and actual income inequality using data from the World Values Surveys. The distribution of income is more equal in nations where public opinion is more egalitarian. There is some evidence that the opinions of people with higher incomes are more influential than those of people with low incomes. Although the estimated relationship is stronger in democracies, it is present even under non-democratic governments, and the hypothesis that effects are equal cannot be rejected. We consider the possibility of reciprocal causation by means of an instrumental variables analysis, which yields no evidence that income distribution affects opinion.

scholarly journals Bastards, brothers, and unjust warriors: Enmity and ethics in Just War Cinema

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Finlay
Keyword(s):  
Cold War ◽  
Just War ◽  
Just War Theory ◽  
Second World War ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
World War ◽  
Close Attention ◽  
Popular Cinema ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Second World

AbstractHow do members of the general public come to regard some uses of violence as legitimate and others as illegitimate? And how do they learn to use widely recognised normative principles in doing so such as those encapsulated in the laws of war and debated by just war theorists? This article argues that popular cinema is likely to be a major source of influence especially through a subgenre that I call ‘Just War Cinema’. Since the 1950s, many films have addressed the moral drama at the centre of contemporary Just War Theory through the figure of the enemy in the Second World War, offering often explicit and sophisticated treatments of the relationship between thejus ad bellumand thejus in bellothat anticipate or echo the arguments of philosophers. But whereas Cold War-era films may have supported Just War Theory’s ambitions to shape public understanding, a strongly revisionary tendency in Just War Cinema since the late 1990s is just as likely to thwart them. The potential of Just War Cinema to vitiate efforts to shape wider attitudes is a matter that both moral philosophers and those concerned with disseminating the law of war ought to pay close attention to.

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