SCC 2012 Walk a mile in their shoes: engaging different demographics

Version 1 | Public © Ipsos MORI

Version 1 | Public

Walk a mile in their shoes:

engaging different segments Sarah Castell and Jayesh Navin Shah

May 2012


Some background

• Last year, we presented findings from the Public Attitudes to

Science (PAS) 2011 study

• The study included a quantitative segmentation, grouping together

members of the public that tend to have similar attitudes to science

• Last year’s session offered a brief description of the six segments,

among other PAS 2011 findings

• Delegates wanted a more thorough exploration of how they might

tailor engagement activities to these six segments


Three things for today

1. In-depth presentation of the six segments, and

potential approaches for engaging them

• c.20-minute presentation

• c.3-minute vox pops video

2. Generate ideas for how to overcome your own science

communication challenges

3. Discuss how to detect the impact of engagement

activities among specific segments


What do we mean by “segments”?

Tendencies rather than certainties when grouping

people

Our interpretations of an objective statistical analysis

Segments have overall defining characteristics, but

a range of views in each

Based on a quantitative segmentation model, so …

Previous PAS studies have consistently identified similar

segments, so these are enduring groups in the UK public …

… so how do we use this segmentation?


The six segments

Who are they and what are their views?


We know how interested and engaged they are in science …

… but we need to know more

informed about science (net score)

agree it‟s important to know about science in daily lives (net score)

Confident Engagers

Distrustful Engagers Late Adopters

The Concerned

Disengaged Sceptics

The Indifferent

Potential low- hanging fruit

Hardest to engage

Base: 2,103 UK adults aged 16+ Fieldwork dates: 11 October-19 December 2010


Confident Engagers are strongly positive about the role of science in society, and already feel sufficiently engaged

Tend to be affluent (ABC1s), have a higher

education and aged 35-44

“Yes [psychology is a science]. Because of things like Pavlov‟s experiments, you can show how things work by methods.”

PAS 2011 participant

• Were enthusiastic about science at school

• Relatively close proximity to science in their lives,

either through work, or friends and family

• Often go to all sorts of museums, galleries and

festivals

• Sceptical about health and science claims made in

adverts and in the media

More likely to read broadsheets, use social media and

read science blogs


Distrustful Engagers think science benefits society, but are less trusting of scientists and less confident of regulation

“Unfortunately, there are so many things which come up in media where things have been handled wrongly. I think the NHS is in a bit of a mess, so I would not fully trust that everything would be used in the correct way.”

HTA stakeholder evaluation (2007)

Tend to read right-leaning newspapers, but also more likely

to read science magazines

• More cynical about the intentions of private

companies and government, and think the

public should have more say

• Tend to think of scientists as introverts,

working behind closed doors

• Often sports fans, more likely to attend live

sports events

Tend to be men, generally without children, affluent

(ABC1s), with a higher education, and aged 55+


Late Adopters did not enjoy science at school, but now take a strong interest, based on environmental and ethical concerns

“[Carbon Dioxide Removal options] are natural processes, so less likely to have unintended consequences on ecosystems.”

Experiment Earth (2010)

More likely to download or stream programmes or video clips, and to visit social networking websites

Tend to be women, often parents generally young,

aged 16-34, many with an arts or humanities background

• Take a broad view of what constitutes

science (e.g. CSI as a science-based show)

• Engage with news stories and activities that

relate back to their environmental and

ethical concerns (e.g. going to the zoo)

• Would like to hear more scientists discuss the

social and ethical implications of their work


The Concerned distinguish themselves through a more religious or spiritual outlook on life, which informs their views on science

More likely to be women, from younger age groups aged 16-34, less affluent (C2DEs) and from ethnic minority backgrounds

“It shouldn‟t be done because once you start you can‟t stop or control it … The consequences would leak out somewhere.”

Public dialogue into Animals Containing Human Materials

(2010)

More likely to read tabloids, and less likely to read any

Sunday newspaper

• Often less convinced about established

science (e.g. on climate change or vaccination)

• Not sure what the economic benefits of

science are

• Think religion and faith should play a stronger

role in society than they currently do

• Tend to have faith that the government is

generally doing the right thing


The Indifferent do not feel informed about science, but are not especially interested or concerned either

“You always hear these things without always knowing what they are. It‟s „medical‟, but that‟s about as far as I‟ve actually thought about it. It‟s like „cells‟, you often read things without fully understanding what it is anyway.”

HTA stakeholder evaluation (2007) Tend to be older people and retired, often less

affluent (C2DEs)

Least likely to have internet access, so television and

newspapers are important, especially tabloids

• Generally tend not to be interested in new

challenges or learning new skills

• Generally don‟t go to museums or

galleries

• Are put off by technical terms and jargon

• Don‟t think there is much they can change

with the way things are run


Disengaged Sceptics were put off science at school, and today they find it overwhelming

“It‟s no use talking to us about CO2 emissions and expecting us to change our behaviour instantly. A tonne of carbon, what does that even look like! I want to know what‟s going to happen around here.”

The Big Energy Shift (2009)

More likely to be women, less affluent (C2DEs), and with no formal qualifications

More likely to read tabloids, and less

likely to have internet access

• Think things like science and the economy are too

complex for them to understand

• Take a conservative attitude towards science

and health regulation

• Don’t want personal involvement, but want to

know the Government is listening to the public

• But will engage with news stories if there is a non-

science narrative that interests them


So do these groups of people really exist?

• This short video was taken with members of the general public who

attended our PAS discussion groups in London in February 2011

To view this video, please go to the BIS YouTube channel at

http://www.youtube.com/user/bisgovuk#p/a/u/0/DW61a3ni4Xc

http://www.youtube.com/user/bisgovuk

http://www.youtube.com/user/bisgovuk


But remember, people don‟t travel around as segments!

Late Adopter, with son or daughter

More likely than average to attend a science-related activity (e.g. science museum) with …

Disengaged Sceptic, no tendencies

Distrustful Engager, alone

Confident Engager, alone or with friends

The Concerned, with friends

Indifferent, tend not to do science activities


Some of our ideas on how you might engage these groups

CONFIDENT ENGAGERS

DISTRUSTFUL ENGAGERS

LATE ADOPTERS

THE CONCERNED

THE INDIFFERENT

DISENGAGED SCEPTICS

Dispel myths about scientists – show they work in teams and have

to be creative

Not just about the “science” – some may respond more to the social and ethical implications

(e.g. of climate change)

What are the intentions of scientists in areas such as stem cell research, and how

will this benefit people?


Some of our ideas on how you might engage these groups

CONFIDENT ENGAGERS

DISTRUSTFUL ENGAGERS

LATE ADOPTERS

THE CONCERNED

THE INDIFFERENT

DISENGAGED SCEPTICS

Could this segment be science ambassadors to

the other segments?

Both these segments respond best when

science isn‟t isolated, but a part of culture, and related to the things they

do in their daily lives

“Before, science was the Bunsen Burner, nothing else, and then I thought, it‟s everything – gardening, food, glasses!”

PAS 2011 participant

Demystifying science – anyone can do science


Version 1 | Public

Thanks and now for your ideas! [email protected]

[email protected]

© Ipsos MORI


In your breakout groups …

1. Familiarise yourself with the segment on your table

2. Share your communications challenge with others on your table

3. Group discussions

• What in life really matters to this segment?

• How can you use the things that matter to involve them with your issue?

• How would you use media channels, messages, events, activities, within

your budget?

• What does success look like? What will the segment do or think

differently as a result of your action?

• Prepare to present back your top three insights to the group


Distrustful Engagers – what do they think of science?

Bases: 2,103 UK adults aged 16+; 260 Distrustful Engagers Fieldwork dates: 11 October-19 December 2010

12%

85%

88%

58%

59% 63%

50%

72%

71%

24% 67%

80%

37%

49% 54%

40%

82%

51%

School put me off science

It is important to know about science in my daily life

On the whole, science will make our lives easier

The science I learnt at school has been useful in my job

Finding out about new scientific developments is

easy these days

Rules will not stop scientists doing what they want behind

closed doors

The speed of development in science and technology

means they cannot properly be controlled by government

In general, scientists want to make life better for the

average person

Public consultation events are just public relations

events and don‟t make any difference to policy

% All UK adults aged 16+ agreeing

% Distrustful Engagers agreeing


Distrustful Engagers – what kinds of things would they say?

“Unfortunately, there are so many things which come up in media where things have been handled wrongly. I think the NHS is in a bit of a mess, so I would not fully trust that everything would be used in the correct way.”


“I‟m sometimes sceptical of peer review. Don‟t we tend to look after our own? Sometimes we‟re very critical, but doctors tend to be a closed circle and if one makes an error they … cover up and protect their own.”

Public Attitudes to Science 2011

“In the current political climate is your research biased in favour of things to support climate change?”


“As far as I'm concerned, [my medical information] is stored in a general office area, accessible by every single member of staff who works in the surgery.”

Use of Medical Records in Medical Research (2006)


Late Adopters – what do they think of science?

Bases: 2,103 UK adults aged 16+; 392 Late Adopters Fieldwork dates: 11 October-19 December 2010


% Late Adopters agreeing

40% 52%

77%

86% 81%

68%

91%

24%

36%

68%

82% 65%

44%

74%

School put me off science

The science I learnt at school has not been useful in my

everyday life

It is important to know about science in my daily life

Science is such a big part of our lives that we should all

take an interest

I want scientists to spend more time discussing the

social and ethical implications of their work

Scientists should be rewarded for communicating

their work to the public

Human activity does have a significant effect on the

climate


Late Adopters – what kinds of things would they say?

“[Carbon Dioxide Removal options] are natural processes, so less likely to have unintended consequences on ecosystems.”


“Science and the arts are both creative in different ways. Leonardo da Vinci did science and arts.”


“A human would express pain in an experiment. Why should an animal go through what a human isn‟t prepared to go through?”

Animals Containing Human Materials dialogue (2010)

“With the weather in our own country, the tsunami, in Chile and the amount of pollution in China, we know something is happening.”



The Concerned – what do they think of science?

Bases: 2,103 UK adults aged 16+; 490 Concerned Fieldwork dates: 11 October-19 December 2010


% Concerned agreeing

52%

45%

33%

62%

71%

48%

47%

74% 25%

68%

29%

24%

68% 56%

40%

41%

66% 15%

Human beings have evolved from other animals

We depend too much on science and not enough on

faith

The more I know about science, the more worried I

am

Jobs in science are very interesting

People shouldn‟t tamper with nature


means they cannot properly be controlled by government

Scientists seem to be trying new things without stopping

to think about the consequences

Scientists should listen more to what ordinary people think

Government funding for science should be cut

because the money can be better spent elsewhere


The Concerned – what kinds of things would they say?

“It shouldn‟t be done because once you start you can‟t stop or control it … The consequences would leak out somewhere.”


“Technology makes people lose jobs. Machinery is more efficient, so you don‟t need people, so you have job cuts.”


“The risks are exploitation, manipulation, it being used for the wrong purposes, but we‟re always seeing the goalposts, or the line of what‟s acceptable, being pushed further and further.”


“Half the world is starving – all this should be addressed before we take this further.”



The Indifferent – what do they think of science?

Bases: 2,103 UK adults aged 16+; 389 Indifferent Fieldwork dates: 11 October-19 December 2010


% Indifferent agreeing

48% 63%

40%

33%

71%

57%

77%

46%

61%

81%

89%

68%

25%

63%

46%

84%

32%

51%

I enjoy new situations and challenges

It is important for me to keep on learning new skills

it is important to know about science in my daily life

Science is such a big part of our lives that we should all

take an interest

The UK is too small to make an impact on climate change

Science and technology are too specialised for most

people to understand them

It‟s normal for scientists to disagree

I don‟t think I‟m clever enough to understand

science and technology




The Indifferent – what kinds of things would they say?

“You always hear these things without always knowing what they are. It‟s „medical‟, but that‟s about as far as I‟ve actually thought about it. It‟s like „cells‟, you often read things without fully understanding what it is anyway.”


“I only know what‟s presented to me. Maybe TV advertisements or magazines – things that we look at … [Science] is the part of the newspaper that we skip normally.”


“That nanotechnology stuff, the vivisection, I don‟t understand that. It‟s so confusing, all these atoms and molecules.”


“It‟s difficult to know what we can do [to mitigate climate change] in our little way.”



Disengaged Sceptics – what do they think of science?

Bases: 2,103 UK adults aged 16+; 269 Disengaged Sceptics Fieldwork dates: 11 October-19 December 2010


% Disengaged Sceptics agreeing

58%

43%

90%

92%

96%

49%

70%

79%

72% 32%

22% 71%

81%

89%

40% 54%

73%

82%

I don't think I'm clever enough to understand

science and technology

I cannot follow developments in science and technology

because the speed of development is too fast

There is so much conflicting information about science it is difficult to know what to

believe

I enjoy new situations and challenges

It is important for me to keep on learning new skills


means they cannot properly be controlled by Government

Rules will not stop scientists doing what they want behind

closed doors

Government should delay new medicines or

technologies until scientists are completely certain there

are no bad side effects




Disengaged Sceptics – what kinds of things would they say?

“It‟s no use talking to us about CO2 emissions and expecting us to change our behaviour instantly. A tonne of carbon, what does that even look like! I want to know what‟s going to happen around here.”

The Big Energy Shift (2009)

“The graph showed 100 parts per million in 200 years, and a 1°C increase in temperature. How will it affect us? Should we really be concerned about 2°C?”


“It was quite interesting to have taken part in something like this, especially if you‟ve got a background where you don‟t know much about science. It‟s made me more aware of … the world that‟s behind the scenes working on curing diseases.”


“I wouldn‟t have connected science to all these areas.”


SCC 2012 Walk a mile in their shoes: engaging different demographics

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