Counteracting the Politicization of Science

Toby Bolsen, James N. Druckman*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

167 Scopus citations

Abstract

Few trends in science have generated as much discussion as its politicization. This occurs when an actor emphasizes the inherent uncertainty of science to cast doubt on the existence of scientific consensus. In this article, we offer a framework that generates predictions about when communications can be used to counteract politicization efforts aimed at novel energy technologies. We then present evidence from nationally representative survey experiments to demonstrate how warnings to dismiss future politicization and corrections to ignore past claims can counteract politicization's effects. The results provide novel insights about science communication in a politicized era and offer a blueprint on which future work can build.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)745-769
Number of pages25
JournalJournal of Communication
Volume65
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2015

Keywords

  • Motivated Reasoning
  • Politicization
  • Public Opinion
  • Science Communication

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Communication
  • Language and Linguistics
  • Linguistics and Language

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Counteracting the Politicization of Science'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this