Experimenting with visual content: online focus group on citizens' perception and trust in science communication.

Background: This paper presents part of a wider research project called TRESCA[1] which aims to develop trust in science through the innovation of communication practices. Connected with the topic of trust in sciences, in terms of the credibility and reliability of scientific information, a part of the project was dedicated to the assessment of the explanatory power of two main elements of communication: audio and video. Particular attention was given to how these two elements relate to the perception of citizens, mediating with the latent imaginaries, emotional charges and value judgements that are the basis of the framing of relevant news, and thus with the ability of people to distinguish between correct and false communication. Methods: To investigate these aspects, an ad hoc workshop was designed and implemented in three European countries with the aim of understanding how people interpret the content of a scientific communication video with particular attention to the role of images and audio. Some probe questions were carefully selected to explore content and latent imaginaries, emotional and critical aspects also related with the trust of the communication. Results: By involving citizens in discussions and innovation efforts, many suggestions and recommendations have been collected. In today's everyday life, where the visual is very widespread, thanks to the ever-growing presence of social media, the power of images can exceed that of audio. Conclusions: Since watching a video without sound can mislead the real content of the message, especially when the source or the speaker aren't recognisable. This can have many repercussions on people's ability to evaluate the truthfulness of a news and, consequently, on the choice to grant trust - or distrust.

New trends in science communication fostering evidence-informed policymaking.

This article aims to assess novel trends in science communication relating to how policymakers in the field of innovation and digitalisation policy consume and use scientific findings. We investigate the mutual influence that science communication and policy have on each other and answer the question how emerging science communication trends in the science-policy nexus might influence the use of scientific findings in the policymaking process. By using Google and the largest scholarly repositories, Google Scholar, ResearchGate, and Academia.edu, from 1 st March to 31 st May 2020, we reviewed policy documents and academic literature containing relevant information on the evolution of characteristics of global, European, and national science communication activities and the interrelated policy responses to identify the most relevant current trends in the evidence-to-policy process alongside three key challenges; trust, translation, and timing. The three identified main trends are (1) a stronger engagement between science and policy, (2) more open, reliable, and accountable science communication practices with policymakers, and (3) the increasing digitalisation and visualisation of science communication. We deepened our investigation by conducting online semi-structured interviews with relevant policy stakeholders at the international and national level between 1 st May and 31 st July 2020. With the support of the European Commission and building on the existing network of partners, we identified decision-makers and advisors with relevant experience in fields related to innovation and digitalisation policy working in four countries that represent different levels of generalized social trust: Austria, Italy, Hungary, and the Netherlands, and at the international/European Union level. After an online consultation process with a global set of policymakers, these theoretical findings were translated to policy recommendations showcasing possible solutions in science communication that may be initiated, strengthened, or continued by policy stakeholders in order to reach a more effective and efficient uptake of scientific findings in evidence-informed policymaking.

TRESCA ­ Trustworthy, Reliable and Engaging Scientific Communication Approaches ­ is a research project aimed at understanding how science communication can help re-build trust in science and scientists. The project wants to create positive changes through common research activities with various stakeholders, e.g., the general public, scientists, journalists, and policymakers. Thus, TRESCA also aimed to identify the most important actual trends how communication between scientific experts and policymakers changed in the last decades in the field of innovation and digitalisation policy. We looked at how these trends might influence the way policymakers receive, interpret, and use scientific evidence during their daily work. The partners first checked various scientific and non-scientific documents concerning potential new communication trends between scientists and policymakers. The partners conducted interviews with policymakers working in four European countries (Austria, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands) and at the international/EU level. The interviews investigated the scientific data sources, data collection processes, science communication topics, channels, and formats frequently used by policymakers. We found that at least three new trends had strengthened in the last decades: (1) increasingly often more permanent formal relationships are developed between scientists and policymakers to cope with the more frequent and intense communication; (2) to enhance trust between scientists and policymakers, more transparent and reliable communication channels and formats are used; (3) policymakers need to understand more scientific information in less time therefore visual and digital communication formats are getting more widespread. After an online consultation process, practical recommendations were provided to policymakers on how to support more effective communication with scientists. This included the creation of more training opportunities, the increased use of communication guides, the promotion of fact-checking websites, or ways to motivate scientists to communicate with policymakers. These steps might support a novel communication process built on trust and the understanding of each other's perspective.

Poverty and mental health among migrants: When is ingroup exposure more protective than social ties?

•Ingroup exposure in residential areas and social ties are typically positively linked to mental health among migrants.•We argue that whether migrants can reap the benefits of these protective factors depends on their poverty status.•Findings show that migrants below the poverty line do not benefit from ingroup exposure or social ties.•However, compared to natives, migrants above the poverty line do benefit from social ties.•We conclude that migrants might benefit more from protective factors when they are equipped to invest in them.

Hormones in speed-dating: The role of testosterone and cortisol in attraction.

There is evidence that testosterone and cortisol levels are related to the attraction of a romantic partner; testosterone levels relate to a wide range of sexual behaviors and cortisol is a crucial component in the response to stress. To investigate this, we conducted a speed-dating study among heterosexual singles. We measured salivary testosterone and cortisol changes in men and women (n = 79) when they participated in a romantic condition (meeting opposite-sex others, i.e., potential romantic partners), as well as a control condition (meeting same-sex others, i.e., potential friends). Over the course of the romantic speed-dating event, results showed that women's but not men's testosterone levels increased and cortisol levels decreased for both men and women. These findings indicate that men's testosterone and cortisol levels were elevated in anticipation of the event, whereas for women, this appears to only be the case for cortisol. Concerning the relationship between attraction and hormonal change, four important findings can be distinguished. First, men were more popular when they arrived at the romantic speed-dating event with elevated cortisol levels. Second, in both men and women, a larger change in cortisol levels during romantic speed-dating was related to more selectivity. Third, testosterone alone was unrelated to any romantic speed-dating outcome (selectivity or popularity). However, fourth, women who arrived at the romantic speed-dating event with higher testosterone levels were more selective when their anticipatory cortisol response was low. Overall, our findings suggest that changes in the hormone cortisol may be stronger associated with the attraction of a romantic partner than testosterone.

Perceived group cohesion versus actual social structure: A study using social network analysis of egocentric Facebook networks.

Research on group cohesion often relies on individual perceptions, which may not reflect the actual social structure of groups. This study draws on social network theory to examine the relationship between observable structural group characteristics and individual perceptions of group cohesion. Leveraging Facebook data, we extracted and partitioned the social networks of 109 participants into groups using a modularity algorithm. We then surveyed perceptions of cohesion, and computed group density and size using social network analysis. Out of six linear mixed effects models specified, a random intercept and fixed slope model with group size as a predictor of perceived group cohesion emerged as best fitting. Whereas group density was not linked to perceived cohesion, size had a small negative effect on perceived cohesion, suggesting that people perceive smaller groups as more cohesive. We discuss the potential of social network analysis, visualization tools, and Facebook data for advancing research on groups.

Personality and Social Capital.

While previous research has shown that personality shapes social networks, we know very little about the relationship between these important psychological characteristics and the creation of social capital. In this article, we argue that personality shapes individuals' ability to create social capital, and we predict positive associations between each of the Big Five personality traits and social capital. We tested our hypotheses using the Social Survey of the Networks of the Dutch, 2014, which contains data on about 1,069 respondents, including social capital and Big Five personality measures. Our findings showed that personality and social capital were related such that extraversion and openness predicted instrumental social capital, and extraversion, emotional stability, and agreeableness predicted expressive social capital. Conscientiousness benefited instrumental social capital when respondents were older or when social capital was accessed via weak ties. We discuss these findings in light of existing explanations of the creation of social capital.