Civic Science and Policy Readings Quiz

Readings

• Elizabeth Christopherson, Dietram Scheufele, and Brooke Smith, "The Civic Science Imperative"
• The Economist, “The Trials of Gene Therapy"
• Adam Levine, “Collaborate Now!" (Chapters 1, 5, & 6)
• Arthur Lupia, “Communicating Science in Politicized Environments"
• Naomi Oreskes & Erik M. Conway, “Merchants of Doubt" (Introduction, Chapters 1 & 2)
• Hiroko Tabuchi, “In the Fight Over Gas Stoves, Meet the Industry's Go-To Scientist"
• Holden Thorp, “It Matters Who Does Science"
• Erica L. Green, “Longtime University President's Legacy: A Diverse New Generation in STEM”
• Steven Epstein, “The Construction of Lay Expertise: AIDS Activism and the Forging of Credibility in the Reform of Clinical Trials"
• Abby S. Haynes, “Galvanizers, Guides, Champions, and Shields: The Many Ways that Policymakers Use Public Health Researchers”
• Shana Gadarian, Sara Goodman, and Tom Pepinsky, "Pandemic Politics: The Deadly Toll of Partisanship in the Age of Covid"
• Ezekiel J. Emanuel, Ross Upshur, and Maxwell Smith, “What Covid Has Taught the World about Ethics."
• Franklin G. Miller, “Should Ethicists Be at the Table in Public Health Policy Deliberations?”

Lectures

• Tuesday, November 5th, Key Historical Moments
• Thursday, November 7th, The Science Workforce/Election Results
• Tuesday, November 12th, Credibility, Expertise, and Power
• Thursday, November 14th, The Nature of Relationships Between Scientists and Non-Scientists
• Thursday, November 21st, Misinformation
• Tuesday, December 3rd, Polarization
• Thursday, December 5th, Ethics, Public Policy, and Course Wrap-Up

Podcasts

• Public Health on Call Podcast, Episode 59, “Social Media, Scientific Uncertainty, and Political Polarization – Covid-19's Misinformation Storm”
• Public Health on Call Podcast, Episode 178, “How Covid-19's Misinformation Storm May Impact the Election”

How Does Science Become Useful in Society?

• One piece is about what we choose to fund, and who sets the agenda.
• Conventional idea: focus on basic science
• Second piece is about how we choose to communicate scientific findings.
• Conventional idea: focus on information dissemination
• Bogenschneider and Corbett challenge the latter idea.

Science of Collaboration

• New collaborative relationships between people with diverse expertise are important.
• Important for setting the scientific agenda.
• Important for using scientific results.

Adam Levine's Views on the Science of Collaboration

• Collaborative relationships: back-and-forth interaction between diverse experts.
• Two types of goals:
  • Informal collaboration: knowledge exchange.
  • Formal collaboration: shared ownership and accountability.

Adam Levine's Views on Unmet Desire

• Unmet desire to collaborate arises due to barriers to voluntary civic activity.
• Lack of time/money
• Lack of incentives
• Lack of opportunity
• Uncertainty about other's perspectives.

Elements of Relationality

• Concerns about oneself (self-competence and script concerns).
• Concerns about the other person (enjoyment, valuing expertise, communication).
• Trustworthiness.

Implications of Taking Relational Uncertainty Seriously

• People are more likely to engage in collaboration when others are perceived as having valuable/trustworthy information.
• People prefer enjoyable interactions.
• People engage more when interactions are perceived as enjoyable

Action Item: Surface Unmet Desire to Collaborate

• Developing an unmet desire survey.

Surveys of Local Policymakers and Other Topics

• Surveys of local policymakers.
• Unmet desire for more evidence-informed policymaking.
• Focus on local researchers.
• Three separate types of policy makers related to the health of their community.
• Examples given.
• Unmet desire among sustainability professionals.
• Key findings (Fall 2022-Spring 2023).

A Reminder on Policy for Science Vs. Science for Policy

• "Policy for science" (What)
  • What do we choose to fund?
  • Who sets the scientific agenda?
• "Science for policy" (How)
  • How do those with science-related expertise communicate?
  • How do decision-makers use science?

Policy for Science at the Federal Level.

• Who does the President appoint related to health and human services and scientific institutions?
• Who does the President appoint to lead National Science Foundation and National Science Board?

Science for Policy at the Federal Level.

• Regulations pursued by departments/agencies
• How are discretionary dollars spent?
• What laws are passed by Congress?
• What priorities are pursued in budgets?
• What judges are appointed?

Looking Beyond the Federal Level

• Federalist system of government.
• Many headlines focus on the federal level.

How Can Scientists/Public Health Professionals Combat Misinformation?

• A few strategies:
  • avoid misinformation in the first place
  • anticipate and use "pre-buttal"
  • connect to an audience's values
  • use two-way communication

Political Polarization

• Political polarization: increasing distance between Democrats and Republicans.
• Issue-based/ideological polarization.
• Affective polarization.

Political Polarization (Gadarian et al)

• Partisanship as a "mega-identity".
• Identifications aligning with other social identities (gender, religion, class, rural/urban, race, and education).

Fundamentals of Understanding Politically Polarized Settings

• Uncertainty about relationality (new collaborators seeing each other as strangers)
• Political divides heighten relational uncertainty.
• Political divides elevate group/identity motivations over accuracy motivations.
• Two upshots: Confirmation bias, and disconfirmation bias.

Strategies for Working in Politically Polarized Settings

• Build new collaborative relationships.
• Find in-group members.
• Emphasize shared identities.
• Respond to misperceptions and communicate messages effectively.

Key Question of this Class (How Does Science Become Useful in Society?)

• Conventional view of policy for science as a linear model.
• Government funds basic research, it will provide a reservoir of findings, scientific experts solve problems.
• Conventional view of science for policy as a deficit model. - Decision makers lack knowledge so experts need to give them information.

Misinformation (April 2020 Podcast)

• How does misinformation spread?
• Top-down: elites misleading the public.
• Bottom-up: individuals trying to make sense of situations.

Misinformation (October 2020 Podcast)

• Misinformation is challenging public health (virus, vaccines, treatments).
• Elites greatly amplifying misinformation.

Credibility

• What is credibility?
• It matters for whether scientists are persuasive to an audience.
• It matters for whether non-scientists are credible to scientists.

Credibility (Epstein)

• How scientific credibility might be gained by non-scientists over time.
• Engaging lay expertise isn't just about scientists being humble.
• Lay activists have agency.

Misinformation: What Is It?

• Misinformation defined: false, inaccurate, or misleading information.
• Concern among top government officials.

Additional Considerations (page 12)

• There is tension: Need scientific experts, while also needing an active, educated citizenry.
• We need scientific experts, but also need a robust civic life.
• Science and democracy are inextricably linked.
• Following science is more complicated than it seems.

Test your understanding of key themes in science communication and policy from influential readings. This quiz covers topics such as gene therapy, pandemic politics, and the role of activists in shaping scientific credibility. Dive deep into how science interacts with society and policy-making.