Value-Based Narratives Foster Trust in Scientists and Communication Behaviors

This study evaluated the impact of value-based narratives on American adult participants’ trust perception. In a first-person narrative, a medical scientist described their value-based motivations for developing artificial intelligence (AI) technology for medical diagnosis. Results indicated that only benevolence perception was positively related to transportation and identification. Furthermore, only identification was positively related to story-consistent beliefs, which were positively associated with the intention to engage in further communication behaviors. These findings suggest that to communicate effectively about novel technologies, scientists should share their altruistic motives or self-transcendence values, rather than their credentials or ambitions, with the public.