The Lamm lab is excited to share their latest article was just published in Foods! The research was a multi-institutional interdisciplinary achievement based on work conducted for the Real Pork Trust Consortium funded by the National Pork Board.
In an era when misinformation runs rampant and scientific innovations in food production grow more complex, communicating with consumers has never been more important—or more difficult. The Lamm science communication Lab, led a groundbreaking study that sheds new light on how Americans trust (or don’t trust) the science behind their food. The application of the Situational Theory of Publics alongside expertise in message targeting and audience segmentation allowed this study to move beyond surface-level consumer opinions and into the complex psychology of food trust. Authors included Dr. Alexa Lamm, Dr. Kevan Lamm, Dr. Allison Byrd at the University of Georgia, Dr. Nicholas Gabler and Dr. Michael Retallick at Iowa State University and Dr. Katie Sanders at North Carolina State University.
In this national study, over 1,000 U.S. consumers were studied. Using complex cluster analysis, the research team segmented consumers into five unique “trust clusters” based on their levels of:
- Cognitive trust in science,
- Affective trust in new foods, and
- Dispositional trust in information sources.
What emerged was a nuanced map of public trust with direct implications for food policy and communication strategies which can help food communicators reach skeptical or undecided audiences more effectively.
Overall Recommendations
- Tailor science communication by trust profile, not just demographics.
- Focus resources on the “On the Fence” and “Trust Science Not New Food” segments for the highest return.
- Build affective trust by aligning values, not just facts.
- Collaborate with credible influencers like health professionals and dietitians.
- Use consistent language across communication efforts to describe trust clusters and audience profiles.
