In today’s milieu of polarization, is there any path to acceptance of attitudes between different groups on controversial topics? And decisions and behaviors related to health? Particularly “when logic and proportion have fallen sloppy dead.”

• phys.org > “Study shows testimonials can open acceptance to differing opinions on controversial topics” by University of Kansas (October 11, 2023) – Movies and larger productions have long known the influence of an engaging story on audiences.

It’s hard to change people’s minds, especially on a topic they feel strongly about. But a new study from the University of Kansas shows that testimonials about a person’s lived experience can open people to acceptance of attitudes different than their own on controversial topics. That could go a long way in helping communicators reach people on important topics regarding health, life, death and other difficult to discuss issues, researchers say.

A study surveyed nearly 1,500 people on their attitudes about several controversial issues, … When they then read a testimonial that gave a moving account of a person’s lived experience with the issue, they were more likely to be receptive to an attitude different than their own than those who read an informative article on the same topic.

“At their core, testimonials are essentially the story of someone’s lived experience. They can be evocative or emotional. But much of the research on narratives tends to focus on … [resource intensive] movies, television or books …, but not on how effective they can be in everyday life [compared to testimonials or simpler forms of stories],” said Judy Watts, assistant professor of journalism & mass communications at KU and lead author of the study.