Facilitator’s group maintenance function in Science Cafe: Perspectives on the factors supporting bi-directional communication between the public and scientists

Abstract

This study aimed to describe and explore how communication between professionals and non-professionals is accomplished, through fieldwork in Science Cafe. From the content analysis of the conversations between these two parties, two findings were yielded. First, the diversity of the interests of the participants in Science Cafe was observed through the KJ method; and second, the public (non-professionals) engaged in a conversation with scientists (professionals) more actively when a facilitator was present (discourse analysis) than when not. More specifically, supportive actions, such as correcting the public’s statements by a facilitator can actually decrease the gap in knowledge between scientists and the public. Such support increases opportunities for the public to speak out more often. These results imply that the presence of a facilitator can induce bi-directional communication between professionals and non-professionals.View full abstract