Complexity appreciated: How the communication of complexity impacts topic-specific intellectual humility and epistemic trustworthiness
- Author(s)
- Nina Vaupotič, Dorothe Kienhues, Regina Jucks
- Abstract
In the context of science communication, complexity is often reduced. This study employs a 2 × 2 experimental design (N = 432) to investigate how two factors, namely the communication of complexity (reduced vs not reduced) and the provision of suggestions for concrete action (suggested vs not suggested), influence individuals’ productive engagement with the socio-scientific topic of sustainable energy. Measured variables include topic-specific intellectual humility, judgements of source trustworthiness, willingness to act, anxiety, and hope. As expected, communication of complexity led to higher topic-specific intellectual humility, higher epistemic trustworthiness and higher anxiety. When a concrete action was communicated, participants reported lower topic-specific intellectual humility. Participants’ willingness to act was not significantly affected by the experimental manipulation. The results of the study imply that the communication of complexity does not hinder people’s productive engagement with science.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Vienna Cognitive Science Hub
- External organisation(s)
- Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster
- Journal
- Public Understanding of Science
- Pages
- 1-17
- No. of pages
- 17
- ISSN
- 0963-6625
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1177/09636625241227800
- Publication date
- 2024
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 501016 Educational psychology
- Keywords
- ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Communication, Developmental and Educational Psychology, Arts and Humanities (miscellaneous)
- Portal url
- https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/complexity-appreciated-how-the-communication-of-complexity-impacts-topicspecific-intellectual-humility-and-epistemic-trustworthiness(07eae38f-3a70-4550-84c0-43bf141884ec).html