200188 SE Theory and Empirical Research (Mind and Brain) 1 (2024S)

Those who are about to go extinct, salute you! In this TEWA, we will work on the topic of biodiversity conservation and species decline.

CONTENTS AND METHODS
We will take an innovative approach and look at the potential impact of science communication to change people's perceptions of vulnerable species. Research into animal cognition and behaviour is revealing many interesting aspects about various animal species, and showing that they are perhaps more like us than we previously thought. In this TEWA, we will translate this knowledge into "narrative biographies" of vulnerable species - which can be used to communicate to the general public. You will not only construct these SciComm materials, but also evaluate their impact on people's perceptions of vulnerable species. During the TEWA, we will benefit from the science communication experts of the Natural History Museum in Vienna, who will provide a guest lecture.

In sum, in this TEWA you will further expand and deepen your research skills by setting up and carrying out a research project. Furthermore, you will deepen you communication skills by reporting on this project in written form. Lastly, you will engage in an interdisciplinary creative process in which you will be required to gather and synthesize information about an animal species.

This TEWA is part of an ongoing research line of the Environmental Psychology Group. At the start of the course, you will become familiar with the theoretical background of the research line as well as the main goals and methods. Each student can select the species they want to focus on throughout the course (from a pre-set list of vulnerable species in Austria, as determined by the IUCN Red List). Each student will dive into the biological facts about this species and construct a narrative biography around (a day in) its life. To evaluate the impact of reading such biographies on the general public, an empirical study will be conducted. Before data is collected, each student will have to submit a preregistration protocol in which the impact study design and methodology is described.

For data collection, students will be combined into groups in order to expedite the process. The survey will be programmed in Qualtrics. We will process and analyze the data together at the end of the seminar. At the end of the course, each student will give a conference-style "Blitz talk" about their SciComm project and its results. Furthermore, everyone will submit an individual research report. Altogether, this TEWA prepares you to conduct an independent empirical study in the domain of science communication and Environmental Psychology.

AIMS
After following this course:
a) You are able to set up and carry out an empirical study to investigate the impact of a science communication tool, using customary psychological methods and with minimal supervision
b) You are able to report the planned study's methods and analyses in a pre-registration protocol
c) You are able to appropriately analyse and interpret the results
d) You are able to communicate about this work in written form