communicaTUM

About the Project – communicaTUM 

How do communication tonality and format influence how people think about science topics like GMOs?
Our research group communicaTUM, part of #class24 of TUM: Junge Akademie, explored how different communication tonalities and format affect public perception of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) within the context of food security.

In a time where social media spreads emotionally charged content quickly, we wanted to find out:

• How do people react emotionally to different tonalities (humorous & inspirational vs. dramatic & contemptuous)?
• Does the format (text or video) make a difference?
• And how do reactions differ between people in Germany and Ghana?

Study Design

The study took place in three parts:

1. Pilot Study (Germany)
   Participants read a text about genetically modified bananas, written in either a humorous & inspirational or a dramatic & contemptuous tonality. (n = 167)
2. Video Study (Germany)
   The same story was adapted into two videos with only small changes in visuals. A professional voice actor recorded both versions. (n = 413)
3. Study in Ghana
   The survey was translated into English and the videos were recreated. Students from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology took part. (n = 126)

Before reading or watching, participants provided demographic data, religious beliefs, political interests, and attitudes toward science and GMO.

After reading or watching, participants answered questions about:

• Their emotional reaction (e.g., fear, resignation, anger)
• Whether their opinion on GMOs had changed
• If they felt motivated to take political action

Main Results 

• Dramatic communication triggered stronger emotions
• Text formats led to greater attitude change than videos
• In both formats, the humorous tone made participants feel more in control and calm
• Ghanaian participants showed:
  • Higher engagement and concern about food insecurity
  • More positive attitude compared to German participants

Some people reacted more strongly to text than to video, no matter the tonality – which suggests that individual engagement style may play a role.

Why This Matters

Our results show that the way science is communicated – in terms of emotional tonality, communication format, and cultural factors – plays a key role in how people react to complex and controversial topics like genetic engineering.

While a dramatic tone catches attention and creates emotional responses, it doesn't always lead to attitude change. In fact, too much negativity might even lead to resignation or hopelessness.

Future science communication should:

• Find a good balance between emotion and information
• Be understandable, but not oversimplified
• Avoid spreading fear, and instead encourage reflection and action
• Take into account the sociocultural context of the audience

Next Steps

This project opens up many new questions:

• How can we ensure that scientific information is presented in an understandable and neutral way without contributing to the increasing polarization we observe nowadays?
• How can we reach people without overwhelming them?

The goal should be to present complex scientific topics in a way that is easy to understand and accessible to everyone – while still allowing people to build their own opinions based on facts, not just emotions or misinformation.