This document discusses effective science communication strategies for polarized audiences. It argues that simply providing more facts or claiming scientific consensus will not change attitudes that are shaped by cultural values. People process information through an identity-protective lens that aligns their views with their social groups. The document advocates for empathizing with different worldviews and framing messages in culturally affirming ways to avoid triggering resistance. It presents a case study showing that priming audiences with identity-affirming themes before scientific information can mitigate polarization. The key is designing communication that judges less and affirms diverse perspectives.

1. Jennifer Briselli
SVP, Experience Strategy & Service Design
Designing Effective Science Communication…
…for challenging contexts & polarized audiences
@jbriselli
jbriselli@madpow.com

3. the more things change…

4. 1923

5. 2020

6. 1902

7. 2020

8. 2006

9. 2020

10. the more they stay the same.
the more things change…

11. human beings are still human.

12. “”
The saddest aspect of life right
now is that science gathers
knowledge faster than society
gathers wisdom.
Isaac Asimov

14. so, the problem with science communication must be…
people are in denial
people are misinformed
people are irrational
the problem is…
ü prove scientific consensus, out-reason them all!
ü more facts! better education! science literacy!
ü let’s just ignore them… maybe they’ll disappear.

15. …that’s not how it works.

16. Denial?

18. 24 reject global warming

22. hierarchical
egalitarian
communitarianindividualist

23. “Cultural Cognition of Scientific Consensus”
Source: Kahan, Dan M., Jenkins-Smith, Hank and Braman, Donald, Cultural Cognition of Scientific Consensus (February 7, 2010). Journal of Risk Research, Vol. 14, pp. 147-74, 2011
Fictitious
“experts”
&
two versions
of each
expert’s article

24. Asked participants: “Is this a knowledgeable and credible expert on…”
respondents who
agree the author is
an expert:

25. People generally trust science;
but our perceptions of scientific expertise and
policy implications are colored by our values.
Denial

26. Misinformation?

27. “How much risk do you think climate change poses?”
perceived
risk
science literacy
egalitarian communitarian
hierarchical individualist
Prediction:
better informed
more agreement
with consensus

28. “How much risk do you think climate change poses?”
perceived
risk
science literacy
egalitarian communitarian
hierarchical individualist
Result: for some,
better educated
more polarized views
opposing consensus

29. Overcoming a knowledge deficit or debunking
misinformation doesn’t guarantee a change in
attitudes or behavior.
Misinformation

30. Irrational?

31. “All that stuff I was taught
about evolution and
embryology and the big bang
theory, all that is lies straight
from the pit of Hell.”
Rep. Paul Broun
R-GA & member the House Science Committee
2007-2015

32. “A mask doesn’t really protect
you as much as it protects
other people. I don’t think it
would have made much of a
difference.”
Rep. Tom Rice (R-SC),
After refusing to wear a mask on the House floor and
subsequently testing positive for COVID-19

34. There is far too much information in the world for a human to
process, so we offload some of that processing through
identity-protective (“cultural”) cognition
which prompts us to align our perceptions with trusted or
symbolic sources within our own social in-groups

36. Rationality ≠ accuracy.
Identity-protective cognition is perfectly rational.
It helps us make sense of the world, though it
leads to errant perceptions of science & risk.
Irrational

37. Communication is a rhetoric
design challenge.

39. “”
Everyone designs who devises
courses of action aimed at
changing existing situations into
preferred ones.
Herbert Simon

44. How do you design communication for
people who don’t already agree with you?

46. “”
Wherever
there is design,
there is rhetoric.
Kenneth Burke

47. TEST
PROTOTYPE
IDEATE
DEFINE
EMPATHIZE
human centered design

49. Empathy

50. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian

51. communitarianindividualist
Interference from
outsiders limits
personal freedom.
Collective assistance
and welfare structures
hold people back.
Freedom and
competition lead to
human resourcefulness
and innovation.
People should be free to
do what they deem right
without mandates.
Human interaction
and compassion are
important.
People have a
responsibility to take
care of each other.
Collaboration and
solidarity make strong,
safe communities.
Everyone should be
willing to both help and
depend on others.

52. hierarchical
egalitarian
It’s ok to acknowledge
and even emphasize
differences.
It’s ok to distribute wealth and duty
according to class or expertise.
Roles should be differentiated in a
traditional manner.
Policy and social conventions
should support traditional
hierarchies and stability.
Discrimination is harmful.
Everyone deserves equal
representation in duty and
distribution of wealth.
Everyone should have access;
non-traditional roles are ok.
Everyone should be allowed to
participate; diversity is good.

53. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
gun control
HPV vaccine
compulsory health
measures
evolution
climate change
nuclear power
abortion
Perceived
as Risks

55. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
most people
extreme stereotypes

56. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
What about you?

57. EMPATHIZE Empathy ≠ endorsement.

58. TEST
PROTOTYPE
IDEATE
DEFINE
EMPATHIZE
✓

59. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
Affirming
Threatening
harsh criticism of traditional
roles & industry
unrestricted competition,
threats to social supports
interference, constraints on
personal freedoms
denial of participation,
access, status
stability, authority, expertise
collaboration,
community, stewardship
resourcefulness,
independence, privacy
equality, access, participation

60. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
Harsh criticism of traditional
roles & industry
Unrestricted competition,
threats to social supports
Interference, constraints on
personal freedoms
Denial of participation,
access, status
Avoid:

61. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
stability, authority, expertise
collaboration,
community, stewardship
resourcefulness,
independence, privacy
equality, access, participation
Highlight:

62. case study: vaccination
Why should I?
ü communitarian & egalitarian
Why would I?
ü hierarchical & individualist
Why wouldn’t I?
ü debunking & de-biasing
Will I?
ü choice

63. What resonated most?
“”
The part about vaccines being a _________.
I never thought about it that way.

64. TEST
PROTOTYPE
IDEATE
DEFINE
EMPATHIZE
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓

66. One More Study:
Participants read an editorial story with specific framing:
anti-pollution or geo-engineering.
Then, they all read the same neutral, statistics-based article about climate change.

67. communitarianindividualist
hierarchical
egalitarian
“Climate change is a very real threat
to our planet and our way of life!”
“Climate change isn’t a thing.”
Usually:

68. The anti-pollution priming story accentuated conventional
anti-commerce and anti-technology themes.
Hierarchical-Individualists find these values threatening;
they discounted the statistics in the second article & expressed
even stronger climate change denial.
The geo-engineering priming story accentuated themes like
human ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit overcoming natural limits
on commerce.
Hierarchical-Individualists find these values affirming;
they accepted the statistics in the second article & expressed
stronger acceptance of climate change as a threat we should act on.

69. Framing messaging about politically charged
topics with identity-affirming meanings can
mitigate resistance & polarization.

70. TL;DR

72. Judge less, design more.

73. “”
Everyone designs who devises
courses of action aimed at
changing existing situations into
preferred ones.
Herbert Simon

74. “”
Everyone designs who devises
courses of action aimed at
changing existing situations into
preferred ones.
Herbert Simon

75. Everyone designs.

77. Jennifer Briselli
SVP, Experience Strategy & Service Design
@jbriselli
jbriselli@madpow.com
Thank You