OVERVIEW
Climate change, financial meltdowns, global pandemics, the opioid crisis — the greatest challenges we face involve incredibly complex physical and social systems. Even when these issues impact our daily lives, they can still seem remote and difficult to grasp. How do people think and reason about such abstract topics? Much of what we know about the world comes not from direct experience, but from what we hear and read. As a result, our work focuses on how language and public discourse reflect and shape attitudes and decision-making. Read on for more information about some of the topics we've been working on.
LINGUISTIC FRAMING |
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LAY THEORIES |
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Scientists create formal models to make sense of complex systems, but most people use simpler conceptual schemas or lay theories. Our work investigates the factors that shape — and the consequences of holding — particular lay theories. For example, we have looked at the impact of narratives and personal stories on lay theories of obesity, and how labels, political ideology, and metaphors influence lay theories of addiction and depression. We have also explored the structure of lay theories of teaching and learning, and the role that economic lay theories play in how people react to reading about the changing demographic landscape in the United States.
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