Communicating the way to the adoption of scientific technologies

(Press-News.org) CHICAGO --- James N. Druckman has conducted extensive research on the effects of the politicization of science, which occurs when political interests shape the presentation of scientific facts to fit distinct models of "reality."

A paper on this research will be presented during a symposium held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Grand Ballroom A in the Hyatt Regency Chicago.

Druckman, the Payson S. Wild Professor in the department of political science at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern University, was scheduled to present his research. However, in his absence, the presentation of the paper "When Can the Politicization of Science Affect Public Views of Health Innovations?" will be given by one of his co-authors.

Specifically, Druckman and his co-authors theorize that politicization generates anxiety and results in a status quo bias such that citizens feel uncertainty about what to believe and hence stick to the status quo. Consequently, politicization generates a substantial obstacle for any new scientific innovation as it enters the political and economic marketplace.

INFORMATION: The findings will be presented at the AAAS symposium titled "Using Social Science to Change Decisions and Improve Health Outcomes."

Also a faculty fellow with the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern, Druckman has conducted extensive research on political preference formation and communication. His recent work examines how citizens make political, economic and social decisions in various contexts. He also researches the relationship between citizens' preferences and public policy and how political elites make decisions under varying institutional conditions. (Source contact: James Druckman at druckman@northwestern.edu or office 847-491-7450) NORTHWESTERN NEWS: http://www.northwestern.edu/newscenter/