Science Communication to Enhance Health Decisions (keynote)
Advantages and disadvantages exist for presenting numeric information in science communication. On the one hand, public innumeracy and experts’ concerns about providing numbers suggest not showing them. On the other hand, people often prefer getting them and their provision can increase comprehension, trust, engagement, and healthy behaviors while reducing risk overestimates and supporting decision-maker autonomy. Presenting numeric facts without considering their comprehensibility and usability though is like throwing good money after bad. Thus, we’ll briefly examine theory-based strategies that improve understanding and use of numbers.
Abstract
This paper has been withdrawn.
