Modern Life: Attention, Communication and You

Modern Life! Attention, Communication, and YouJoe Cone, Assistant Director & Communications Leader

The Information Context of Your Work

“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”

(Herbert Simon, 1971)

“A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention.”

Salmon as food . . national markets . . salmon management . . barcode Salmon as food . . national markets . . salmon management . . barcode

What does the U.S. Public believe or know about Global Warming?

The Standard Source: Six Americas research; 4 nationally representative surveys of American adults, aged 18 and older, 2008-2011

Science Facts: Why Do Americans Disbelieve?

Six Americas: The Belief Profile

CulturalWorldviews

CulturalWorldviews

rights

responsibilities

Cultural Cognition Research Describes Four Cultural Worldviews

Sea Grant’s place in Economic Environment?

“We Just Need to get ‘The Word’ Out” ?

Sea Grant Extension is a “Boundary Organization”

“Empirical study is absolutely essential

. . . to the development of effective communication. There is no such thing as an expert in communication in the sense of someone who can tell you without empirical study how a message should be framed, or what it should say.”**Morgan, M. Granger, et al. (2008). Best Practice Approaches for Characterizing, Communicating and Incorporating Scientific Uncertainty in Climate Decision Making, U.S. Climate Change Science Program.

Oregon Sea Grant’s Communication Support Request Form

Maine Survey ShapedVideo to Motivate Target Population

Cone, J. (2011). Creating Science Videos that Can Affect Behavior. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Survey Identified Key Target-Population Variables

Attitudes

85% - individuals should prepare for the effects of climate change

79% - would rebuild if their property were seriously damaged by natural forces

• BUT: 24% - engineering solutions to control nature do not work

Norms

52 % - likely-to-very likely to “take action against damage due to natural forces” if “my neighbors did similar things”

Self-efficacy

• BUT: 27% do not have the information needed to make a decision

So You Want to Influence Their Behavior?

DecisionDecision

Our model: Nonpersuasive Communication

CC . . . Sea Level

Rise Projection

s

CC . . . Sea Level

Rise Projection

s

Buffer property;

Modify structures

Buffer property;

Modify structures

Modifications don’t work;

Don’t understand

methods

Modifications don’t work;

Don’t understand

methods

Use trusted

sources to explain options

Use trusted

sources to explain options

Resilient Coast: Video Strategy• Acknowledge user values and

perceptions

• Support constructive attitude

with trust

• Support benefits,

reduce barriers

Oct. 2011 Communicator Survey Results

1. Online survey: 30 responding programs; anonymous2. To reflect on the responsibilities and relationships of communicators within

Sea Grant programs. 3. Q1 below shows % and (#) of respondents indicating % of Comm. FTE devoted

to Extension support. 24 of 28 programs devote 20-50% of FTE to Extension.

Programs

Print & Web products > 15 times

Evaluations=Never

The Information Context of Your Work

[email protected]

Thank you.

Social Media: Social Media: New Tools forNew Tools for

Engaging StakeholdersEngaging Stakeholders

The evolving Extension modelTHENTHEN

NOW

Why social media?

If you want to engage the public,

you need tomeet them

on their own ground.

Before you start, consider:

Who do you want to reach?What do you want to say?How do you want to say it?How will you get it to the people you want

to reach?

Case studies: Different blogs for different purposes• Words from a Wet Vet (replacing a newsletter

for a specialized audience)

• H2ONC (broad topical engagement and education)

• An Educator At Sea (special project chronicle)

How will I find the time?• Post short, timely items.• Compose quickly, spell-check, send.• Reuse existing material.• Redistribute widely• Sharing is the currency of social media.

Encourage readers to share your posts.

Use the tools you already have

• Email lists• Print mail lists• E-mail signatures, business cards• Mention it at meetings• Post to FaceBook, Twitter, etc.

Grab those metrics• Social media user stats, blog server stats. • Google Analytics (free!)• Blog comments, retweets, Facebook

“likes,” etc.• When in doubt, survey your followers.• If it’s not working, change it!

Welcome to the future. Enjoy!

blogs.oregonstate.edu/osgprojects

Economies Restructure to Meet Needs

Salmon . . . canned salmon . . . salmon management. . . Salmon . . . canned salmon . . . salmon management. . .

A Model of Science Communication To Assist with Decision-making

Attend, comprehend, believe, remember, behave accordingly, act! Just these six steps to action?

An Information-Economy Persuasion Model Struggles with an Inattentive World