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When experts matter: variations in consensus messaging for vaccine and genetically modified organism safety

When experts matter: variations in consensus messaging for vaccine and genetically modified organism safety
When experts matter: variations in consensus messaging for vaccine and genetically modified organism safety

Does consensus messaging about contested science issues influence perceptions of consensus and/or personal beliefs? This question remains open, particularly for topics other than climate change and samples outside the United States. In a Spanish national sample (N = 5087), we use preregistered survey experiments to examine differential efficacy of variations in consensus messaging for vaccines and genetically modified organisms. We find that no variation of consensus messaging influences vaccine beliefs. For genetically modified organisms, about which misperceptions are particularly prevalent in our sample, we find that scientific consensus messaging increases perception of consensus and personal belief that genetically modified organisms are safe, and decreases support for a ban. Increasing degree of consensus did not have consistent effects. Although individual differences (e.g. a conspiratorial worldview) predict these genetically modified organism beliefs, they do not undercut consensus message effects. While we observe relatively modest effect sizes, consensus messaging may be able to improve the accuracy of beliefs about some contentious topics.

Climate Change, Consensus, Organisms, Genetically Modified, Surveys and Questionnaires, United States, Vaccines
0963-6625
210-226
Lyons, Benjamin A.
4c85428f-bd28-4aa1-b53b-282c9918fea6
Mérola, Vittorio
778f5fa1-aef4-4c90-a437-92a05e76fed4
Reifler, Jason
426301a1-f90b-470d-a076-04a9d716c491
Spälti, Anna Katharina
74cc3501-f2ae-4c12-8996-8f9ab34a6f3e
Stedtnitz, Christine
4ebfda30-aa1d-443e-81f8-6b3c75e60b7b
Stoeckel, Florian
ca82e601-5b0f-4f51-9b2d-46a1693e1f25
Lyons, Benjamin A.
4c85428f-bd28-4aa1-b53b-282c9918fea6
Mérola, Vittorio
778f5fa1-aef4-4c90-a437-92a05e76fed4
Reifler, Jason
426301a1-f90b-470d-a076-04a9d716c491
Spälti, Anna Katharina
74cc3501-f2ae-4c12-8996-8f9ab34a6f3e
Stedtnitz, Christine
4ebfda30-aa1d-443e-81f8-6b3c75e60b7b
Stoeckel, Florian
ca82e601-5b0f-4f51-9b2d-46a1693e1f25

Lyons, Benjamin A., Mérola, Vittorio, Reifler, Jason, Spälti, Anna Katharina, Stedtnitz, Christine and Stoeckel, Florian (2024) When experts matter: variations in consensus messaging for vaccine and genetically modified organism safety. Public Understanding of Science, 33 (2), 210-226. (doi:10.1177/09636625231188594).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Does consensus messaging about contested science issues influence perceptions of consensus and/or personal beliefs? This question remains open, particularly for topics other than climate change and samples outside the United States. In a Spanish national sample (N = 5087), we use preregistered survey experiments to examine differential efficacy of variations in consensus messaging for vaccines and genetically modified organisms. We find that no variation of consensus messaging influences vaccine beliefs. For genetically modified organisms, about which misperceptions are particularly prevalent in our sample, we find that scientific consensus messaging increases perception of consensus and personal belief that genetically modified organisms are safe, and decreases support for a ban. Increasing degree of consensus did not have consistent effects. Although individual differences (e.g. a conspiratorial worldview) predict these genetically modified organism beliefs, they do not undercut consensus message effects. While we observe relatively modest effect sizes, consensus messaging may be able to improve the accuracy of beliefs about some contentious topics.

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More information

e-pub ahead of print date: 19 August 2023
Published date: February 2024
Keywords: Climate Change, Consensus, Organisms, Genetically Modified, Surveys and Questionnaires, United States, Vaccines

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 498158
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/498158
ISSN: 0963-6625
PURE UUID: 3d7b40c6-f330-4d3d-b62b-577d7548cc1a
ORCID for Jason Reifler: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-1116-7346

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 11 Feb 2025 17:58
Last modified: 12 Feb 2025 03:12

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Contributors

Author: Benjamin A. Lyons
Author: Vittorio Mérola
Author: Jason Reifler ORCID iD
Author: Anna Katharina Spälti
Author: Christine Stedtnitz
Author: Florian Stoeckel

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