Doctoral Dissertation Research in DRMS: Explicating Thematic and Structural Frame Components for Effective Communication of Global Climate Change to Lay Audiences

Cornell Univ - State: Awds Made Prior May 2010, Ithaca NY

Investigators

Abstract

A longstanding challenge for the scientific community is how to communicate science to non-expert audiences. One suggested communication technique is a greater reliance on framing scientific information so that it provides context and resonates with audiences. This project examines how framing affects the communication of a particular scientific issue: the nature and impact of global climate change. Through a series of experiments, the study examines two framing dimensions: the impact of using different types and numbers of examples of people affected by global climate change, and the impact of highlighting different aspects of climate change (such as economics, morality, or averting disaster). Based on previous research, we expect that people will respond more strongly to messages that highlight a single example of a person with whom they can identify. We also expect that the themes will resonate differently with individuals who hold different value orientations. The research program will increase our understanding of the role that social identification cues and interpretive schemas play in the affective and behavioral responses to persuasive messages that use different frame themes and structures.