The effects of lexical and discourse-based hedging in news stories of cancer screening and treatment on cancer-related behavioral beliefs and trust towards cancer scientists

Abstract

Hedging, a way to convey scientific uncertainty, could manifest in two different ways: lexical hedging (expression of uncertainty through linguistic elements such as “might,” “may,” and “likely”) and discourse-based hedging (expression of uncertainty through disclosing experimental weaknesses, lack of generalizability of study results, and so forth). Previous studies in cancer communication documented some positive effects of hedging on variables pertaining to cancer prevention and control, but they focused on discourse-based hedging. To assess and compare the effects of the two different types of hedging on people’s cancer-related behavioral beliefs and trust towards cancer scientists, an online survey experiment was conducted. No significant effects of hedging on beliefs or trust were found. The associations among variables of interests, including behavioral beliefs, trust, attitude, and behavioral intention, were examined, and the potential moderating role of research literacy was explored. Implications of the study’s results are discussed.