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Why should I listen to you?

How we decide whom to regard

as an expert

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Will Rifkin, PhDDirector, Science Communication Program

University of New South Wales

Sydney, Australia

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Why should I listen to you?

1. Your questions

2. Explanation -- expert status

3. Illustration

4. Implications for your work

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Your Questions

What questions do you have

about this topic?

Chat with neighbour for1 minute

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What are your questions?

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R

e-FrameExpert-nonexpert communication

is not about misunderstanding.

It is about allocation of responsibility

see Hughes essay

Mistakes at Work

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Latin/GreekRoots

Expert

Experiment

Experience

Ex = former, without

Per =peril

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Latin/Greek

Roots

Ex pert =

Can help us to

proceed without peril.

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To avoid peril

We choose a voice ofauthority

An Expert

At least, someone whoappears to be one

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You know the situation

Listen to complexcomplex technical language

Follow some words, but not others

Hesitate to ask

??????????

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Problem is

Not lack ofunderstanding, but

h e s i t a t i o n h e s i t a t i o n !

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You could--

Gain understanding

By asking questions

But, you do not ask

Why not?

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Defer to Expert

We let experts control conversations

?

Blah, blah,blah, blah

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Defer to Expert

Breakdown: due to barrierbarriercreated

?

Blah, blah,blah, blah

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Think about it

Talk with your neighbour

Who is your favourite expert?

Who is an expert you dislike?

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Your experts

Favourite experts?

Disliked experts?

What you like: +

What you dislike: --

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Communications 2 parts

1. Information

1. Relationship

Twisted together Cannot be separated!

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Gary Larson Cartoon

Top panel -- What owner says

Bad dog, Ginger! Should not be in garbage!

Bottom panel -- What dog hears

Blah, blah, blah, Ginger! Blah, blah, blah.

Dog is happy

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Relationship can influence

Expert knowledge and ability

become less relevant

Expert status predominates --

Authorityover conversation

we give to someone who

sounds good.

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Selecting experts

How can we tell

who has the relevantknowledge, skill, ...

when we know less

than they do?

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In Conversations

Yet, every day

we pick up signals & guess / infer

who reallyknows what

they are talking about.

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Illustration

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Example in one sentence

Groundwater, in general

follows the topography

in this hydrogeological regime.

groundwater

test welltest well

waste pond with leak

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Example

Groundwater, in general

follows the topography

in this hydrogeological regime.

groundwater

test welltest well

waste pond with leak

sounds

scientific

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Example

Groundwater, in general

follows the topography

in this hydrogeological regime.

groundwater

test welltest well

waste pond with leak

geographical

mathematical

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Example

Groundwater, in general

follows the topography

in this hydrogeological regime.

groundwater

test welltest well

waste pond with leak

narrow

specialty

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Example

Groundwater, in general

follows the topography

in this hydrogeological regime.

groundwater

test welltest well

waste pond with leak

good

scientific

word

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Example

Groundwater, in general

follows the topography

in this hydrogeological regime.

groundwater

test welltest well

waste pond with leak

1

2 3

4 5

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Example

5signals

of speakers identity

in just

1 sentence

!!!!!

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Meaning includes past & future

1. What someone recognises (past)

referentialreferentialmeaning

relevance to what they already know

2. What they expect (future)

inferentialinferentialmeaning

relevance to what they value

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The technical CommunicatorThe Grid

Combine

info / actor / context

with

referential / inferential

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The Grid

For example

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Re-framing

Breakdown in communication is

not due to lack of understanding

of science.

It is due to misalignment,

difference in focus . . .

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Which focus wins?

Who controls the conversation.

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How is Expert Status

Relevant to You?

Talk to person next to you

Offer observations or questions

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How is Expert StatusRelevant to You?

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Resources

Google articles by Will Rifkin, PhD

negotiation of expert status

Sociology & linguistics

E. Goffman, D. Tannen, F. Barth, R. McDermott

Concepts social status, negotiated status,negotiation of meaning & identity, pragmatics,

speech act theory, social construction of reality,ethnic groups and boundaries, risk perception

& risk communication, communities of practice,allocation of responsibility,

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Thank you!