Trust in Science and Science Communication
Trust in Science and Science Communication
Research Focus
I study how people engage with scientific information — not only by looking at the message itself, but also by examining how they view the people and institutions behind it. My research is based on the idea that individuals do not evaluate scientific advice solely on the content of the message. When the advice informs public policies or everyday guidance — such as sustainability, preventive health, or other societal decisions — people also weigh who the advice is coming from and whether they feel respected and included in the process.
I investigate how the public perceives scientists as social groups, and whether communication that is transparent about uncertainty, acknowledges people’s values and gives them agency in decision-making, can build trust, foster positive perceptions of experts, and increase willingness to engage in recommendations and support related policies.
Current Projects
Trust in science as an intergroup phenomenon
In this paper, accepted by the British Journal of Social Psychology, my co-authors and I explore trust in science as an intergroup process. We argue that trust in science is not only about evidence, but about relationships — how the public views the scientists, and how the public feels viewed in return. We identify communication strategies that can help build mutual respect and trust, ultimately improving collaboration between experts and citizens.
Improving communication in cervical screening programmes
In a forthcoming article in Psychology and Health, we examine how transparent and empathetic communication influences women’s perceptions of cervical screening. We find that when medical professionals explain scientific uncertainty clearly and express genuine concern for how testing affects people’s lives, participants evaluate medical scientists more positively, trust the screening system more, and are less likely to blame the testing system or professionals for the test’s limitations.
Research Focus
I investigate how attitudes toward reproductive rights are shaped by people’s sense of national identity — especially when that identity is framed in essentialist or exclusionary terms. My research examines how national attachment and concerns about maintaining the continuity of one’s group (e.g., fears of demographic decline, perceptions of threat, or beliefs about “population replacement”) influence public opinion, political preferences, and support for reproductive rights policies.
This line of work highlights how debates about reproductive autonomy are often intertwined with questions about who is seen as belonging to the nation and whose future is prioritised in policymaking.
Current Projects
National identity and abortion attitudes across Europe
In a cross-country study (working paper), I examine how out-group prejudice and exclusionary ideas about national identity are linked to opposition to abortion in the EU.
National pride, immigration threat, and reproductive rights
This work-in-progress investigates how feelings of pride and perceived threats from immigration relate to support for or resistance to abortion rights in three European countries (the UK, Estonia, and Slovenia).
Conspiracy beliefs and reproductive autonomy
This project explores how belief in demographic-replacement narratives (i.e., the Great Replacement conspiracy) is associated with attitudes toward reproductive freedom.
Fertility policy and group continuity concerns
In ongoing research in Italy and Germany, I analyse how discussions about fertility and population growth reflect deeper concerns about cultural continuity and national identity.
Alongside these projects, I collaborate on research examining how the public perceives medical professionals and researchers working in reproductive health, as well as attitudes toward surrogate motherhood.
I received a European Commission Seal of Excellence for a proposal on reproductive rights, and I am currently preparing an ERC Starting Grant (or comparable) application to expand this research program.
I have worked in a behavioural-science-for-policy environment, where I contributed to applied projects across public health, environmental policy, and consumer and financial decision-making. In these projects, I used behavioural insights to inform policy design, evaluate communication tools, and understand how people make decisions in real-world contexts.
Public health
The behavioural drivers of antimicrobial overprescription (research paper).
The effectiveness of the official cervical screening information leaflet (research paper).
Public engagement with health advice during the COVID-19 pandemic (research paper).
Environment and sustainability
Public attitudes toward mineral exploration and mining (research paper).
The impact of environmental labels on clothing on consumer decisions (research paper).
Consumer and financial decision-making
Decision-making around private health insurance (research paper).
Randomised controlled trial aimed at motivating consumers to consider switching between financial products (working paper).