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Accountability-embracing science communication increases public engagement with scientists post-COVID-19
Maja Graso1, Kyriaki Fousiani1, Cory Clark2
1Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Social Science & Medicine (1982)
|June 10, 2026
Summary
Scientists communicating with accountability, acknowledging mistakes, and engaging critics, particularly conservatives, can rebuild public trust and engagement following crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Area of Science:
- Public Health Communication
- Political Science
- Sociology of Science
Background:
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted public engagement with science, revealing a notable decline among conservatives compared to liberals.
- Increased polarization during the pandemic highlighted the need for strategies to bridge divides in science communication.
- Boundary work theory and messaging research informed the study's approach to assessing information legitimacy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how different science communication styles influence public engagement and trust, especially in polarized contexts.
- To compare the effectiveness of authoritative versus accountability-embracing communication in shaping perceptions of scientists.
- To identify strategies for repairing public trust in science following a crisis.
Main Methods:
- Four experiment-based studies (N=1441) were conducted in 2025.
- Participants evaluated scientists based on COVID-19 reflections framed as either authoritative or accountability-embracing.
- Evaluations included immediate engagement indicators (trust, prestige, conspiracy beliefs) and actionable indicators (funding, platform support).
Main Results:
- Accountability-embracing communication strategies generally led to greater public engagement across most metrics.
- This approach showed particular benefits for political conservatives in several experimental conditions.
- Authoritative communication, characterized by defending institutions and dismissing dissent, was less effective.
Conclusions:
- Reflexivity and accountability in science communication can foster broader public engagement, especially across ideological lines.
- These strategies offer a promising pathway to restore trust in scientists post-crisis in polarized societies.
- Acknowledging errors and engaging with critics enhances the perceived legitimacy of scientific information.
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