How immigration growth rates are presented affects how we perceive them

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2024-10-03 04:00

International

What does this mean?

Jump to: MultimediaAttachmentsExpert Reaction

Italian scientists say presenting statistics about immigration growth rates in different ways can affect how the public perceives them. For example, they say we tend to perceive 'one in 40' as a bigger number than '2.5%', although they mean exactly the same thing. The team presented information about immigration growth rates to Italian adults using these two different formats, and asked them to rate the increase. People rated the 'one in x' format as larger than the percentage format, irrespective of their views on immigration and society, the authors say. The findings have implications for policymakers, communicators, and stakeholders who have to present information on immigration to the public, they conclude.