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Does the spokesperson matter in online natural history science communication?

Poster

    Presenting Author(s)

  • Selina Ariel Ruzi

    Postdoctoral Researcher
    North Carolina State University
    Raleigh, North Carolina, United States

    • Co-Author(s)

  • NL

    Nicole M. Lee

    Arizona State University
    Glendale, Arizona, United States

  • Adrian A. Smith

    Research Scientist
    North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
    Raleigh, North Carolina, United States

Communication of science through online media has become a primary means of disseminating and connecting science with a public audience. However, online media can come in many forms and stories of scientific discovery can be told by many individuals. We tested whether the relationship of a spokesperson to the science story being told influences how people react and respond to online science media. We created five video stimuli that fell into three treatments: a scientist presenting their own research (male or female), a third party summarizing research (male or female), and text only (no presenter). Each of these videos presented the same fabricated science story about the discovery of a new ant species (Formicidae). We used Qualtrics to administer and obtain survey responses from 515 participants (~100 per video). Respondents were randomly assigned to one of the videos and after viewing the stimulus answered questions assessing their perceptions of scientists in general (competence and warmth), the video (trustworthiness and enjoyment), the spokesperson (trustworthiness and competence), and attitudes towards the research topic and funding. Respondents were also asked to recall what they had seen and heard. We determined that when participants watched a video in which a scientist presented their own research they perceived the spokesperson as being more trustworthy and having more expertise than a video where there was no spokesperson on camera. Viewing a scientist presenting their own work also humanized the research, with participants more often including a person in their answer to the recall question.