2026/02/01 by Charlotte Vaughn · 1 voice
Arts and Humanities · Psychology · Social Sciences · #Climate Change Communication and Perception #Data collection #Field (mathematics) #Human research #Media Influence and Health #Mental Health via Writing #Participant observation #Point (geometry) #Psychological science #Public engagement #Research methodology
paper · doi:10.1037/xge0001897
openalex publication_date 2026/02/01 · openalex created_date 2026/02/03 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
This article argues that experimental psychologists who conduct research with human subjects are in fact doing public engagement about the field with their participants whether they are aware of it or not. Researchers are missing opportunities to connect with public audiences by not being aware of and intentional about what their experiments communicate. Borrowing from science communication, the article discusses objectives that can serve as a guide in designing both experiments and debriefings with participant engagement in mind. Articulated as the research as engagement model, the article suggests that our research and broader impact goals can be well-served if we view each study participant not only as a data point but as an opportunity for public engagement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).