From Data to Meaning Presentation: Communicating Psychological Scientific Research

to Non-Scientific Audiences

APA Division Leadership Conference January 25, 2015 Washington, DC

Presented by

Jacinta C. Gauda Principal and Chief Strategy Officer

www.thegaudagroup.com

Reinforce the importance of communicating psychological scientific research to non-scientific audiences

Acknowledge and address the challenges associated with communicating with wider audience groups

Introduce an audience-centric communications framework to advance the agenda in various situations

Provide an opportunity to practice the audience-centric communications framework

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Today’s Objectives

Our mission is to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people's lives. We do this by:

Encouraging the development and application of psychology in the broadest manner

Promoting research in psychology, the improvement of research methods and conditions and the application of research findings

Improving the qualifications and usefulness of psychologists by establishing high standards of ethics, conduct, education and achievement

Increasing and disseminating psychological knowledge through meetings, professional contacts, reports, papers, discussions and publications

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The Why: APA Mission and Core Strategies

Embrace communication opportunities

Adopt an audience-centric communications mindset and utilize a range of skills to navigate various communication landscapes

Drive a proactive and reactive communications strategy to advance the Division objectives

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Leader Communications Implications

• Misuse, misquotes, and manipulation of information

• Ethical concerns and considerations

• Inability to provide adequate context

• Challenges to research claims

• Pressure to overstate research conclusions/implications

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Communication Risks and Challenges

The Presenter The Audience The Content

The Presenter The Audience The Content

The Presenter The Audience The Content

All eyes are on me

I need to tell them everything that is known

What is most relevant to this audience?

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Balancing the Dimensions of Communications

Your Intentions to Communicate

New Ideas

Timely Information

Useful Messages

Need for Action

Depth of Issue

Urgency of Agenda

Need for Funding

Public Policy Influence

Desired Audience Response

Understand

Report

Take Action

Appreciate

Engage

Change

Inspire

Support

Promote

Adopt

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Communicating with Intention

The Focus The Need Communication Implications

• Laws • Regulations • Reactive • Political • Dynamic • Complex • Goal- oriented

• Get smart fast • Have a lot of credible content • Understand underlying causes • Useful analysis • Evidence-based practices • Background/context • Fact sheets • Credible sources • Public opinion polls

Professional publication is highly important to policy makers. They also rely heavily on what’s in the news.

• Highlight professional credentials • Know the policy agenda • Use highly relevant data • Know both sides/controversies • Offer direction and resources • Be concise • Create interest to learn more • Provide advance and leave - behind material • Be prepared for the tough questions

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Audience Mindset – Policy Makers

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Focus Needs Implications

•New Developments •Discoveries •Trends •Human Interest •Controversy •Conflict •Crisis

• Attract/keep audiences • Break news • Have a great deal of quality

content • Provide perspective • Get an opposing point of view • Balance stories • Enlist credible sources • Differentiate from competitors

Know that I have limited time and

space and am always on deadline

in a highly competitive 24/7 news

cycle

• Know the media’s audience •Know the nature of the story and why they are talking to you • Be prepared • Know how to zero-in on the most important message •Have supporting messages and proof points •State why the research is important • State what it means for the audience •Use data and visuals •Provide backgrounder

Audience Mindset – The Media

Focus The Need to/for Implications

•Living •Coping •Managing •Juggling •Parenting •Getting and staying well •Managing emotions

• Guidance/support in major disasters and major societal and personal changes •Understand and manage mental illness •Know psychologically healthy behaviors •Deal with difficult people and situations • Help becoming a better person, sibling, parent, caretaker, friend and employee

•Help me to understand •Tell me what I should do •Help me to be less afraid •Show me how to cope •Put me in the right direction •Explain why this is happening to me •Tell me what this means for me and/or my family

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Audience Mindset – The Public

Research/Researcher Centric Audience-Centric

Elaborate/Elegant Research Models A Simplified Context

Extensive Research Findings The Essential Messages

Rich Data Supporting Proof Points

Multiple Outcomes Audience-Specific Implications

Importance of the Researcher What’s in it for Me (the audience)

What I Want to Tell What I Need/Want to Know

Research Limitations The Meaning of What is Known

Open-Ended – Call for More Research What Should I/We Do Today

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Major Communications Shifts

Positioning Messages

The key thing is…

The best part about…

The three most exciting elements are…

The essential element is…

The Essential and Non-Essential

Methodology

Implications Research

Objectives Current

and Historical Context Limitations

Arguments

Assumptions

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From Information to Meaning

Trust

Understanding

Confidence

What’s in it for…

Credentials

Experience

Depth of knowledge

Recognition Strong evidence

Information is current and relevant

Third-party validation

Benefits of recommendations

Context

How it works

Implications

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The Work of Messages

Key message

Supporting msg &

Proof points

Supporting msg &

Proof points

Supporting msg &

Proof points

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1 • Define the Issue

2 • Position the Research

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• Deliver the Key Message (s)

4 • State Limitations

5 • Deliver the Audience-Centric Take-away

Communications Framework

This step answers these questions:

What are we talking about here?

How big is the issue?

Who is affected by the issue?

Why should we address it now?

What happens if the issue/trend continues?

Suggestions:

Bring the audience in as soon as possible

Define the issue in understandable terms

Use data to illuminate the impact of the issue

Example

Cyberbullying is the intentional act of using technology to bully, harass, damage or threaten one’s feeling of safety, self dignity, privacy, relationships, image or reputation. It has been estimated that nearly 43% of teens have experienced some form of cyberbullying.

Even Shorter

Cyberbullying is not an uncommon occurrence among adolescents. Many may become victims of cyberbullying, an intentional harmful act that threatens their feelings of safety and self dignity.

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1. Define the Issue/State the Case

The step answers the questions:

What are the important questions to be answered?

How can these answers help address the issue?

How did we go about finding the answers?

Suggestions:

If possible, position the objectives with an implied audience benefit

While emphasizing the rigor of the research, avoid, at this point, over-explaining the approach

Use research questions to create listener anticipation for the answers

Example

If we, as parents, teachers, health professionals and policy makers, are to protect adolescents from being victims or perpetrators of cyberbullying, we must better understand it – what makes it unique, risk factors and protective factors – Is it an unique form of aggression? We conducted an extensive review of the research literature to find the answers

Even shorter

To protect adolescents we must learn more about cyberbullying, - Is it a distinct form of aggression?

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2. Position the Research

This step answers the questions: Did we find anything new? What was the most significant finding? What were two other important findings? Do the findings confirm what was known? Do the findings uncover what was

unknown? Do the findings contradict assumptions? Suggestions: State the number of significant findings State if the findings offer actionable

solutions Use data points to illuminate qualitative

statements

Example Our research uncovered two important

findings: 1. Cyberbullying shares many of the

characteristics of other forms of aggression, with unique situational features that make electronic aggression easier to perpetrate.

2. Certain situational predictors, such as having a computer in one’s bedroom and risky and frequent use of electronic communications technologies, are associated with cyberbullying.

Even shorter With few exceptions, cyberbullying has

the same characteristics as broader forms of aggression.

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3. Deliver the Message(s)

This step answers the questions:

What the research did not examine

What questions remain unanswered

What could or is changing that impacts research findings

Suggestions:

Do not elaborate on limitations

Focus on findings (messages)

Be prepared to address limitations in the Q&A

Example

This research had many limitations :

It is focused on perpetration of cyberbullying.

The current literature is young and underdeveloped.

Technology is changing and the corresponding research is evolving.

Even shorter:

While we have gained greater insights through this research on cyberbullying, technology is changing at an alarming speed and the corresponding research is evolving.

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4. State Limitations

This step answers the questions:

What does this mean?

What’s next?

What should I do, know and/or expect?

Suggestions:

Bring the importance of the research full circle

Focus on the most important take-away for the specific audience

Example

Because of this research, we better understand cyber- bullying, what it has in common with other forms of aggression, and what makes it unique.

Audience-specific

Policy Makers: The critical next steps are to develop a gold standard of measurement, a common definition and innovative approaches to obtaining data. But for now …

Parents: Research supports that parental monitoring is associated with lower rates of cyberbullying.

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5. State the Audience-Centric Take-Away

Debunks the myth of …

Gives us important insights on . . .

Fills in the missing blanks on . . .

Provides (audience) with a way to . . .

Supports evidence that . . .

Strengthens healthcare by . . .

Increases (audience) confidence in knowing . . .

Forges a pathway forward to . . .

Opens our eyes to . . .

Adds to what we already know about . . .

Illuminates our understanding of . . .

Advances our

knowledge about

. . .

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Positioning Statements: Our Research . . .

Deepen understanding

Reinforce a point of view

Broaden perceptions

Clarify misunderstandings

Address controversy or disputes

Share additional proof-points

Provide important insights

Uncover problems or issues

Deliver a key message

Trust

Understanding

Confidence

What’s in it for…

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Questions as Opportunities

Type Description Approach

Softball Easy questions that spark a conversation about the research

Minimally address

Concentrate on advancing the message

Core Fundamental questions related to the research

Answer directly and succinctly

Advance a core message

Within Scope Research-related questions you should have a perspective on

Provide perspective on the issue

Support perspective with proof points

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Questions – The Easy Ones

Type Description Approach

Tough Difficult but necessary to address about the research

Directly address the issue and provide perspective

Deliver your core message

Negative Challenge to the research findings/methodology/implications

Acknowledge the statement

Rephrase - “I prefer to think of it as…”

Bridge to your message, “Our strength in the research is . . . “

Out-of-the-blue

Breaking news or hot topic questions unrelated to the research

Emphatically respond (if appropriate)

Provide professional perspective or state limitation

Avoid being side-tracked

Bridge to the research topics

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Questions – The Challenging Ones

Type Description Approach

Crystal Ball Requires you to predict the future

State limitations and/or qualify answer

“I can’t see into the future, but I can say that …”

Provide perspective on the issue

Bridge to research messages

Irrelevant Questions unrelated to the subject at hand

Stay focused

Use key message to bridge back to relevant topic

Expected to know

Possibly in scope but you do not have the answer

Acknowledge lack of information

Give direction or referral

If applicable, state willingness to provide information

Be sure to follow up

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Questions – The Challenging Ones

• The question requires disclosure of confidential or proprietary information

• You don’t know the answer or feel uncomfortable answering

• You would be answering for a third party

• The question is unclear (ask for clarification before answering)

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You can decline to answer when

Know your audience

Have a communications intention

Leave the details for the Q&A

Connect research objectives with audience needs

Remember to answer the question – what does all of this mean?

Don’t tell them everything you know

Translate research material into reader/friendly formats

Put data into comparative context and use analogies to tell story

Listen for the message opportunity in the question

Prepare messages in advance

Tell the research story in everyday language

Know the answers to the toughest questions

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Keep in Mind…