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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Prioritization Of Scientific Sources Of Water Information: The Effect Knowledge, Beliefs, And Political Identity, Sadie Hundemer Sep 2023

Prioritization Of Scientific Sources Of Water Information: The Effect Knowledge, Beliefs, And Political Identity, Sadie Hundemer

Journal of Applied Communications

Scientists are reported to be more trusted than other information sources; yet, on essential water facts, people sometimes reject what they perceive water scientists to believe in favor of other belief determinants. This study examines the factors that affect the difference in people's stated willingness to reconsider their water beliefs in response to information provided by scientists relative to information provided by other sources. Regression analysis of responses provided by 806 Florida and Georgia residents found water science knowledge to be a consistently strong influencer of the gap in reliance on scientific information providers relative to other sources. This result …


Perceived Government Control And Its Influence On Climate Change Knowledge And Perceptions: Applications For Effective Communication, Catherine E. Sanders, Kristin Gibson, Alexa J. Lamm Nov 2022

Perceived Government Control And Its Influence On Climate Change Knowledge And Perceptions: Applications For Effective Communication, Catherine E. Sanders, Kristin Gibson, Alexa J. Lamm

Journal of Applied Communications

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the global agricultural food system at the current moment. While scientists agree that anthropogenic climate change is a critical issue, many United States residents remain skeptical, presenting a significant communication challenge. Understanding the factors influencing public perceptions of climate change are essential to informing agricultural and environmental communication efforts if they are to be effective at mitigating its effects. Previous studies have identified political affiliation and ideology as key predictors for climate change perceptions; however, understanding more detailed components of political ideology and affiliation could strengthen the predictive capacity of these …


Show Me And What Will I Remember? Exploring Recall In Response To Nws Tornado Warning Graphics, Laura Morgan Fischer, Ginger Orton, Jeannette Sutton, Madison Wallace Nov 2022

Show Me And What Will I Remember? Exploring Recall In Response To Nws Tornado Warning Graphics, Laura Morgan Fischer, Ginger Orton, Jeannette Sutton, Madison Wallace

Journal of Applied Communications

It is critical that organizations deliver timely, effective communication about potential risks and life-saving information. The National Weather Service (NWS) developed a suite of messages known as “experimental graphic products” to be automatically distributed through their local official Twitter accounts at the onset of fast-moving, severe weather events such as tornadoes. However, recent research has suggested messages need to be carefully constructed for audiences to place attention to the content, remember the content, and later act in response to the content. The purpose of this study is to explore what people recall of the NWS Twitter message. We used an …


Hemp There It Is: Examining Consumers’ Attitudes Toward The Revitalization Of Hemp As An Agricultural Commodity, Shelli Rampold, Zachary Brym, Michaela S. Kandzer, Lauri M. Baker Dec 2021

Hemp There It Is: Examining Consumers’ Attitudes Toward The Revitalization Of Hemp As An Agricultural Commodity, Shelli Rampold, Zachary Brym, Michaela S. Kandzer, Lauri M. Baker

Journal of Applied Communications

This study was conducted to examine Florida consumers’ stance on legalizing the growing and processing of hemp, recently redefined as an agricultural commodity. Factors were explored that may explain their stance to provide insight into the communication needs in the early stages of the U.S. hemp industry revival. Results indicated that respondents who had more favorable attitudes toward legalizing hemp were also more likely to fall within the category of being overall “for legalizing hemp” when offered a binary choice. Further, attitude toward legalizing hemp was predicted by respondents’ objective knowledge of hemp topics, attitude toward legalizing marijuana, and perceived …


Utilizing Twitter To Communicate Risk After A Natural Disaster, Taylor K. Ruth, Teresa Suits, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Ricky W. Telg Feb 2020

Utilizing Twitter To Communicate Risk After A Natural Disaster, Taylor K. Ruth, Teresa Suits, Ashley Mcleod-Morin, Ricky W. Telg

Journal of Applied Communications

Hurricane Michael hit the Florida panhandle as a category five hurricane on October 10, 2018. One of the risks after a hurricane is the spread of mosquito-borne disease due to standing floodwaters, which provide perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes. People often turn to social media during times of crisis to receive up-to-date information. Therefore, there is a need to understand how to use social media to communicate about risks after a natural disaster. The purpose of this study was to explore how Twitter was used to communicate about mosquito control before and after Hurricane Michael and was guided by the …


Using Cognitive Dissonance To Communicate With Hypocrites About Water Conservation And Climate Change, Melissa R. Taylor, Alexa J. Lamm, Lisa K. Lundy Jan 2017

Using Cognitive Dissonance To Communicate With Hypocrites About Water Conservation And Climate Change, Melissa R. Taylor, Alexa J. Lamm, Lisa K. Lundy

Journal of Applied Communications

The effects of climate change can be mitigated by altering human behavior related to water conservation; however, many who are aware of climate change are not aligning their behavior to curb the impact. This research sought to explore the relationship between citizens’ beliefs, attitudes and behaviors regarding water conservation and their knowledge and beliefs regarding climate change to guide the development of effective communication campaigns focused on water conservation. Using cognitive dissonance theory and an adapted environmental attitudes and behavior quartet, this research focused on individuals who demonstrated high levels of climate change knowledge but did not engage in positive …