Cross-Platform Positivity Toward Extraterrestrial Microbial Life: Media Coverage, Forecasts, and Public Reactions

To the point

People consistently show a positivity bias toward extraterrestrial microbial life, using more positive affect and reward-oriented language than negative or risk language across media coverage, forecasts of reaction, and actual responses, with an exception in one study regarding reward versus risk ratings.

How Will We React to the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life?
nih.gov

How Will We React to the Discovery of Extraterrestrial Life?

How will humanity react to the discovery of extraterrestrial life? Speculation on this topic abounds, but empirical research is practically non-existent. We report the results of three empirical studies assessing psychological reactions to the ...