Han, Scharnetzki, Lary, Waterston); University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine (
Scherer); University of Utah (
Fagerlin); Oregon Health and Science University (
Dieckmann)
"...a strategy aimed at normalizing uncertainty as an expected state of affairs was effective in reducing at least some aversive psychological responses to the communication of uncertainty, whereas widely used alternative strategies aimed at promoting hope and prosocial values had no such effect."
Expert guidelines on crisis communication stress the importance of acknowledging uncertainty - a defining feature of public health crises such as COVID-19 - in order to foster public accountability and trust. However, the communication of scientific uncertainty has the potential to promote negative cognitive, emotional, and behavioural responses, such as heightened risk perceptions, emotional distress, and decision avoidance. This study evaluates whether a communication strategy emphasising that uncertainty is expected/normal during crises can reduce "ambiguity aversion", and it compares the effectiveness of this approach to conventional public communication strategies that promote hope and prosocial values.