Journal article
A risky science communication environment for vaccines
Controversy over childhood vaccinations is an instance of what might be styled the “science communication problem”—the failure of compelling scientific evidence to resolve public dispute over risks and similar facts ( 1). This problem itself has been the focus of scientific study since the 1970s, when psychologists began to investigate the divergence between expert and public
opinion on nuclear power. Indeed, the science of science communication that this body of work comprises can now be used not just to explain controversy over risk but also to predict, manage, and in theory avoid conditions likely to trigger it. The example of childhood vaccinations illustrates these points—and teaches an important practical lesson. One recurring source of risk controversy is a dynamic known as “cultural cognition.”
Authors
Languages
- English
Publication year
2013
Journal
Science
Volume
342
Type
Journal article
Categories
- Service delivery
Tags
- Demand
