Fewer than half of Americans believe in evolution, Sheril Kirshenbaum, co-author of the 2010 book "Unscientific America: How Scientific Illiteracy Threatens our Future," told participants at the Psychology in the Public Interest Leadership Conference in November.
Most newspapers have eliminated their science sections, Kirshenbaum said. In a survey that asked Americans to name a scientist, the top answers were Albert Einstein, Al Gore and Bill Gates. And the percentage of the federal budget dedicated to science has dropped from 12 percent in the 1950s to less than 4 percent today.
How can psychological scientists get their message out in this kind of environment? Kirshenbaum offered several tips:
- Engage with the media. Many scientists are reluctant to respond to reporters' interview requests, said Kirshenbaum. "But if you're not out there telling your own stories, someone else is going to do it for you," she said, warning that the result can be slashed research budgets or just the perpetuation of the public's distrust of research.
- Use social media. Although the scientific community often "pooh poohs" social media, said Kirshenbaum, Twitter and other platforms can help scientists disseminate their work, among both lay and scientific audiences. In fact, she said, a recent study showed that if research gets tweeted about, it is significantly more likely to have a higher number of citations.
- Translate scientific language. Kirshenbaum spent time on Capitol Hill as a congressional fellow. Briefings featured both prominent scientists and people with what Kirshenbaum called "questionable backgrounds." While the former often droned on about their p-values and methodologies and distributed copies of their PowerPoint presentations, the latter were typically funny and charismatic and also served food. All too often, said Kirshenbaum, staffers based their voting recommendations to their bosses on presenters' charisma rather than their science. Although scientists should obviously tailor their presentations depending on whether they're speaking to children in a classroom or policymakers on the Hill, said Kirshenbaum, a good rule of thumb is to "speak as you would to a very smart colleague without a scientific background."
- Make a case. Scientists sometimes get so excited about their work they want to share every step of the process, said Kirshenbaum. But don't try to explain everything. Instead, focus on what your work is and why it should matter to the person you're talking to.
- Listen. Your work isn't done once you've told your story and made your point, said Kirshenbaum. "Usually it's the conversation that happens later where attitudes change or people get it," she said.
— Rebecca A. Clay