Communication

We report findings from a national telephone survey on levels of knowledge about and attitudes toward nanotechnology that demonstrate how people make decisions about emerging technologies. Our findings confirm previous research that suggests that people form opinions and attitudes even in the absence of relevant scientific or policy-related information. In fact, our data show that cognitive shortcuts or heuristicsoften provided by mass media -are currently a key factor in influencing how the public thinks about nanotechnology and about its risks and benefits, and in determining the level of support among the public for further funding for research in this area.

Previous studies on public attitudes toward emerging technologies have treated cognitive and affective influences on public opinion as distinct, with little attention to the possible interaction between the two. Directly addressing this issue, we argue that cognitive and affective factors not only have important separate effects on public attitudes but also work in tandem to produce effects. In particular, it may be that affective variables shape the impact of cognitions and vice versa. We use data from a national telephone survey to test this interactive model of decision making about emerging technologies. Our analyses show that emotional heuristics moderate the effect that knowledge about nanotechnology has on people's overall attitudes toward nanotechnology, with knowledge having a weaker effect on attitudes for people who do show strong emotional reactions to the topic. The implications of these findings for future research and policy making in this area are discussed.

Objective To measure the effect of free access to the scientific literature on article downloads and citations.Design Randomised controlled trial.Setting 11 journals published by the American Physiological Society.Participants 1619 research articles and reviews.Main outcome measures Article readership (measured as downloads of full text, PDFs, and abstracts) and number of unique visitors (internet protocol addresses). Citations to articles were gathered from the Institute for Scientific Information after one year.Interventions Random assignment on online publication of articles published in 11 scientific journals to open access (treatment) or subscription access (control).Results Articles assigned to open access were associated with 89% more full text downloads (95% confidence interval 76% to 103%), 42% more PDF downloads (32% to 52%), and 23% more unique visitors (16% to 30%), but 24% fewer abstract downloads (−29% to −19%) than subscription access articles in the first six months after publication. Open access articles were no more likely to be cited than subscription access articles in the first year after publication. Fifty nine per cent of open access articles (146 of 247) were cited nine to 12 months after publication compared with 63% (859 of 1372) of subscription access articles. Logistic and negative binomial regression analysis of article citation counts confirmed no citation advantage for open access articles.Conclusions Open access publishing may reach more readers than subscription access publishing. No evidence was found of a citation advantage for open access articles in the first year after publication. The citation advantage from open access reported widely in the literature may be an artefact of other causes.

This paper discusses the evaluation of an informal science education project, The Birdhouse Network (TBN) of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. The Elaboration Likelihood Model and the theory of Experiential Education were used as frameworks to analyse the impact of TBN on participants' attitudes toward science and the environment, on their knowledge of bird biology, and on their understanding of the scientific process. The project had an impact on participants' knowledge of bird biology. No statistically significant change in participants' attitudes toward science or the environment, or in participants' understanding of the scientific process, could be detected. The results suggest that projects must make explicit to participants the issues that they are experiencing. In addition, the results suggest that more sensitive measures need to be designed to assess attitude change among environmentally aware citizens.

In the United States after World War 11, the term 'public understanding of science' became equated with 'public appreciation of the benefits that science provides to society'. This equation was the result of the independent, but parallel, social and institutional needs of four different groups with an interest in popularizing science: commercial publishers, scientific societies, science journalists, and government apncim. A new, more critical era of popular science began in the 1960s.

CITATIONS 31 READS 31 2 authors, including: Bruce V Lewenstein Cornell University 149 PUBLICATIONS 2,495 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE All content following this page was uploaded by Bruce V Lewenstein on 08 December 2016. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. All in-text references underlined in blue are added to the original document and are linked to publications on ResearchGate, letting you access and read them immediately. Abstract Recent studies of media coverage of biotechnology have suggested that such coverage was similar to coverage of nuclear energy and other "emerging technologies." To move beyond individual cases and towards a broader theory of media coverage of emerging technologies, this study looks at a new emerging technology -nanotechnology -and explicitly compares coverage of it to coverage of earlier emerging technologies. We present a preliminary content analysis of nanotechnology coverage in the New York Times, . Media attention to

Organizational downsizing places many strains on surviving employees. Despite the implicit relationship between changes to communication networks and employee responses, few studies examine downsizing-induced network changes or the impact of these changes on employees. This longitudinal investigation examined fluctuations in structural holes within a hospitality company's corporate headquarters resulting from the loss and gain of communication contacts. Building on Burt's treatise on structural holes, we tested a measurement of structural holes and its relationship to layoff survivors' perceptions of organizational chaos and their willingness to participate in planned, postdownsizing changes. Although the downsizing had a modest impact on surviving employees' structural hole experiences overall, the structural hole index was a significant predictor in longitudinal and within time period comparisons of employees' perceptions of chaos and openness to change.

Abstract 1. This study used structural equation modeling to test a theory-based model of the pathways by which exposure to the" truth" counterindustry media campaign influenced beliefs, attitudes, and smoking behavior in national random-digit-dial telephone surveys of 16,000 12-to 17-year-olds before, 8 months after, and 15 months after campaign launch.

Additional Info: The purpose of the First Look Report Series is to provide brief research findings from the National Youth Tobacco Surveys and other tobacco use surveys. The series will cover a wide range of topics including tobacco use behaviors, attitudes and beliefs about tobacco, pro-and counter-tobacco marketing efforts, results of the American Legacy Foundation Initiatives, and other policies and programs related to tobacco use. Keywords: Youth Smoking, Cigarette, tobacco

PERSPECTIVE n engl j med 367; 5 nejm. org august 2, 2012 390 with conservatives offering the lowest ratings for joint responsi bility. Respondents attributed even less responsibility to federal, state, and local governments. All re spondents, regardless of their political worldview, believed that parents bear the primary respon sibility for addressing childhood obesity.

ABSTRACT: Objectives: To assess the reach and impact of a social marketing campaign to promote knowledge and attitudes to support Mexico City's 2008 comprehensive smoke-free law. Methods: Four months after the smoke-free law was implemented and before the campaign launch, data were collected from a population-based sample of 961 Mexico City inhabitants, of whom 786 were followed up at the end of the three month campaign.

INTRODUCTION: The Food and Drug Administration mandated that food products list the amount of trans fat per serving on nutrition facts labels by January 1, 2006. There have been no coordinated efforts to raise awareness about trans fat since the policy went into effect, but news coverage may promote informed decisions about food purchases.

Abstract Purpose. To assess the effectiveness of a large-scale, national smoking cessation media campaign, the EX campaign, across racial/ethnic and educational subgroups. Design. A longitudinal random-digit-dial panel study conducted prior to and 6 months following the national launch of the campaign. Setting. The sample was drawn from eight designated media markets in the United States. Subjects.

Abstract: Researchers have increasingly focused on how social determinants of health (SDH) influence health outcomes and disparities. They have also explored strategies for raising public awareness and mobilizing support for policies to address SDH, with particular attention to narrative and image-based information. These efforts will need to overcome low public awareness and concern about SDH; few organized campaigns; and limited descriptions of existing message content.