Advantages and disadvantages exist for presenting numeric information in science communication. On the one hand, public innumeracy and experts’ concerns about providing numbers suggest not always showing them. On the other hand, people often prefer getting them, and their provision can increase comprehension, trust, and healthy behaviors while reducing risk overestimates and supporting decision-making autonomy. Presenting numeric facts without considering their comprehensibility and usability, however, is like throwing good money after bad. We summarize research concerning three theory-based strategies that improve the understanding and use of numbers by decreasing cognitive effort (e.g., doing the math for the audience), being consistent with principles of numeric cognition, and providing affective meaning.

中文翻译：

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科学传播中数字证据的力量

在科学传播中呈现数字信息存在优点和缺点。一方面，公众的无知和专家对提供数字的担忧表明并不总是显示这些数字。另一方面，人们通常更喜欢获得它们，它们的提供可以增加理解、信任和健康的行为，同时减少风险高估并支持决策自主权。然而，在不考虑数字事实的可理解性和可用性的情况下呈现数字事实，就像在坏钱上扔好钱一样。我们总结了有关三种基于理论的策略的研究，这些策略通过减少认知努力（例如，为观众做数学）、与数字认知原则保持一致以及提供情感意义来提高对数字的理解和使用。