Testing Usability: The Use of Addiction Explanatory Metaphors in Framing Public and Professional Conversations

This report summarizes the findings of qualitative research to explore how experts use three Explanatory Metaphors — Redirecting the River, Reward Dial, and Outcomes Scale — to communicate knowledge about addiction to members of the general public. The report concludes with a set of recommendations on how communicators can use these metaphors to expand public thinking about the science of addiction and effective addiction treatment.