When you talk about science, are you communicating what the numbers tell you? or are you using the numbers to say what you are already thinking?
Chances are that it’s the latter. The surprising thing is that the more science literate or numerate a person is, the greater the ability and likelihood that they will better argue the already established beliefs of their culture and rationalize away the dissenting points of view regarding risk. This makes the discussions of the differing positions even more polarized and more difficult to resolve.
That’s what Yale Professor Dan Kahan’s research into Cultural Cognition and the science of science communication has shown.
Dan Kahan: How cultural values shape beliefs and perceptions of risk
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