From correction to connection: Training scientists to build trust through relational communication competencies

Science advancements offer potential solutions for global challenges, yet scientists are ill-prepared to engage with communities about how these developments inform local action. Tensions in communication between scientists and various publics contribute to the proliferation of science misinformation. The Science Trust Project (STP), an initiative of the American Physical Society, was launched in 2022 with the mission of building trusting relationships between scientists and society to meaningfully address misinformation.

STP is rooted in humility, empathy, curiosity and respect for evidence. STP partners with scientists in moving from a correction-only mindset to a connection-encompassing approach when communicating with various publics. Scientists face a tension between how they are traditionally taught to communicate—stating or explaining facts—and how people actually make decisions, in which social dynamics and identity are important factors. Simply correcting misinformation—an approach aligned with the information deficit model—is insufficient for changing behaviour. Through a range of training formats, STP works with scientists on how to listen reflectively, navigating tensions between wanting to correct and being willing to change one’s mind; between being an expert in science, but not in someone else’s values; and between dominant scientific norms and multiple ways of knowing. Many STP materials are framed around addressing climate misinformation, but the techniques we use are broadly applicable to other science topics.

This practitioner article presents how STP helps scientists navigate tensions in science communication, as well as the tensions we have encountered in refining our training approach. We share lessons learned, including how we are broadening beyond a framing of ‘addressing misinformation’ to the more encompassing goal of strengthening public trust by supporting scientists in their relational communication competencies.