%0 Journal Article
%T Should Scientists Talk About GMOs Nicely? Exploring the Effects of Communication Styles, Source Expertise, and Preexisting Attitude
%A John C. Besley
%A Shupei Yuan
%A Wenjuan Ma
%J Science Communication
%@ 1552-8545
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/1075547019837623
%X The present study investigated the effects of communication styles, source expertise, and audiencesĄŻ preexisting attitudes in the contexts of the debate regarding genetically modified organisms. A between-subject experiment (N = 416) was conducted manipulating communication styles (aggressive vs. polite) and the expertise of the communicator (scientist vs. nonscientist) in blog articles. The results showed significant effects of communicator expertise and individualsĄŻ preexisting attitudes on writer likability and message quality, depending on the communication style used. Expectancy violation was found as a significant mediator that explains the differences. These findings provided a plausible explanation for the way in which communication styles work in science communication contexts and offered practical implications for science communicators to communicate more strategically
%K communication styles
%K GMO debate
%K source expertise
%K aggression
%K politeness
%K expectancy violation theory
%K structural equation modeling (SEM)
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1075547019837623