Words or Numbers
Written by Chi-Ray Hsu
Edited by Brianna Beckham
A key duty of researchers, beyond lab work and data analysis, is to make their findings accessible to the public in understandable ways. In many cases, it is important for scientists to be persuasive in their messaging, to convince those outside the field that this information matters-- that this information truly changes how we can understand the world, and that it deserves more resources and attention. Not only is it crucial for funding and institutional support for scientific work, but also for scientific findings to translate into actual social progress through public acceptance and action.
How best to convey scientific work is challenging, however, because people do not always process information rationally. In a world where different forms of media and communication receive different levels of attention and reception, how exactly researchers share their work may change its impact on society.
Photo from iStock. Curated by Kayla Vance (kmv53@cornell.edu).
Drawing from studies in behavioral science, there are hints about what works best in persuading the public. In a 2014 study, “Blinded with Science: Trivial Graphs and Formulas Increase Ad Persuasiveness and Belief in Product Efficacy About the Persuasiveness of Trivial Graphs and Formulas”, Aner Tal and Brian Wansink from Cornell University’s Dyson School found that people trust “elements associated with science” such as graphs and formulas more than plain text. In their first study, 97% of people who saw graphs were convinced of a drug's efficacy, as opposed to 68% of people who saw text, despite both forms of communication providing the same information.
So how does this translate to communicating scientific studies? In presenting studies to the public, people appear to be moved the most by elements that appear to be scientific. This study implies that more methodological, quantitative modes of communication – most often associated with science – may garner more trust and responsiveness from the average person than words alone.
A 2024 study out of Wharton at the University of Pennsylvania, “Does Counting Change What Counts? Quantification Fixation Biases Decision-making", asserts that actual numbers are even more convincing than the graphs and formulas, but in the context of human decisions. Participants were given a choice between two organizations to donate to, each of which excelled in a different feature. The study found that participants consistently chose the organization that excelled in the feature presented numerically, as opposed to through a graph. Linda Chang, the lead author of the study, suggests that it may be because numbers are easier to compare and interpret than other forms of data presentation.
Photo from Clipart Library. Curated by Kayla Vance (kmv53@cornell.edu).
A 2024 study led by Ellen Peters from the University of Oregon, “Numeric Social-media Posts Engage People with Climate Science” reinforces these ideas but provides a more direct and nuanced conclusion to how scientific work may best be conveyed. In analyzing social media posts containing the same messages, among information presented with precise figures, imprecise quantitative phrasing, or exclusively qualitative language, participants were more inclined to share those containing precise quantities, that is, numbers. In posts with numbers, people were also more likely to trust the message and believe the messenger to be an expert. However, using numbers to express findings also has drawbacks. People can easily become overwhelmed by too many numbers or, especially in the context of climate change research, be too discouraged to take action by the precision of numbers in conveying negative realities. Peters and her team suggest that numbers are convincing but are most effective when only the key quantities are presented.
What about words, then? While numbers are certainly the most impactful for human thought and behavior, researchers consistently remind us not to forget about the power of words. Language may not show persuasive effects as significant as numbers, but it is still essential in how scientific discoveries are communicated. Logical and concrete quantities may show us what to think, but language shows us, in a very human way, how to feel. It accompanies numbers to give them context and pads their meanings so we do not lose hope. People may be most convinced by numbers, but it is words that call us to action, that will impassion us about what the numbers represent and ultimately bring us to the social progress that is at the heart of scientific discovery.
Chi-Ray Hsu '29 is in the College of Arts and Sciences, studying Government. She can be reached at ch2298@cornell.edu.
