Thanks so much for the recommendations! I now have lots of fun reading for the summer :).PNAS has a good intro with their collection of free literature on science communication: 1 2
Check out Dan Kahan et al. as well. His work shook some of my preconceived notions.
If you want more, feel free to ask when you're ready. There are some very intriging studies that have re-shaped and challenged some previously established views and these are interesting times in the science of science communication. I don't want to overload you, so if something from PNAS catches you and you want to follow a specific trail, come back and ask me a few questions and I'll see if I have something for you. Edit: To clarify, I mean I don't want to overload you with things that might not be interesting to you.