Paul Han|Elizabeth Scharnetzki|Aaron M. Scherer|Alistair Thorpe|Christine W. Lary|Leo Waterston|Angela Fagerlin|Nathan F. Dieckmann
Communicating Scientific Uncertainty About the COVID-19 Pandemic: Online Experimental Study of an Uncertainty-Normalizing Strategy
Maine Medical Center|Maine Medical Center Research Institute|Maine Medical Center|Maine Medical Center Research Institute|University of Iowa|University of Utah|Maine Medical Center|Maine Medical Center Research Institute|Maine Medical Center|Maine Medical Center Research Institute|University of Utah|VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System|Oregon Health & Science University
background communicating scientific uncertainty public health threats covid19 ethically desirable task endorsed expert guidelines crisis communication however communication scientific uncertainty challenging potential promote ambiguity aversiona welldescribed syndrome negative psychological responses consisting heightened risk perceptions emotional distress decision avoidance communication strategies inform public scientific uncertainty mitigating ambiguity aversion critical unmet need objective study aimed evaluate whether uncertaintynormalizing communication strategyaimed reinforcing expected nature scientific uncertainty covid19 pandemiccan reduce ambiguity aversion compare effectiveness conventional public communication strategies aimed promoting hope prosocial values methods online factorial experiment conducted may june 2020 national sample 1497 us adults read one five versions informational message describing nature transmission prevention treatment covid19 versions varied level expressed scientific uncertainty supplemental focus ie uncertaintynormalizing hopepromoting prosocial participants completed measures cognitive emotional behavioral manifestations ambiguity aversion ie perceived likelihood getting covid19 covid19 worry intentions covid19 riskreducing behaviors vaccination analyses assessed 1 extent communicating uncertainty produced ambiguityaverse psychological responses 2 comparative effectiveness uncertaintynormalizing hopepromoting prosocial communication strategies reducing ambiguityaverse responses 3 potential moderators effects alternative uncertainty communication strategies results communication scientific uncertainty covid19 pandemic increased perceived likelihood getting covid19 worry covid19 consistent ambiguity aversion however affect intentions riskreducing behaviors vaccination uncertaintynormalizing strategy reduced aversive effects communicating scientific uncertainty resulting levels perceived likelihood getting covid19 worry covid19 differ control message communicate uncertainty contrast hopepromoting prosocial strategies decrease ambiguityaverse responses scientific uncertainty age political affiliation respectively moderated effects uncertainty communication strategies intentions covid19 riskreducing behaviors worry covid19 conclusions communicating scientific uncertainty covid19 pandemic produces ambiguityaverse cognitive emotional behavioral responses among general public uncertaintynormalizing communication strategy reduces responses normalizing uncertainty may effective strategy mitigating ambiguity aversion crisis communication efforts research needed test uncertaintynormalizing communication strategies elucidate factors moderate effectiveness