Predicting Public Trust in Science: The Role of Basic Orientations Toward Science, Perceived Trustworthiness of Scientists, and Experiences With Science
Scientists (and science as a whole) provide evidence and advice for societal problem solving and collective decision-making. For this advice to be heard, the public must be willing to trust science, where “trust” means that one can confidently expect science to provide reliable knowledge and evidenc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Communication |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2021.822757/full |
| _version_ | 1818332882829049856 |
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| author | Florian Wintterlin Friederike Hendriks Niels G. Mede Rainer Bromme Julia Metag Mike S. Schäfer |
| author_facet | Florian Wintterlin Friederike Hendriks Niels G. Mede Rainer Bromme Julia Metag Mike S. Schäfer |
| author_sort | Florian Wintterlin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Scientists (and science as a whole) provide evidence and advice for societal problem solving and collective decision-making. For this advice to be heard, the public must be willing to trust science, where “trust” means that one can confidently expect science to provide reliable knowledge and evidence, even if one’s understanding of science is bounded. According to the sociological and psychological literature, citizens’ basic attitudes toward, experiences with, and perceived trustworthiness of the trustee serve as antecedents of trust. From this, we developed a model for the public’s trust in science, and we tested this model in a nationally representative survey in Switzerland (N = 1,050). The analysis reveals that trust in science was best predicted by positivistic attitudes toward science (β = 0.33) and to a lesser extent by trustworthiness assessments of scientists (β = 0.24). Experiences with science did not predict trust in science (β = 0.07). These results suggest that stable basic attitudes toward science and its role in society are grounds on which trust in science can be built. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:42:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-996820ad027e460da9dcfb30fed3b23f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2297-900X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T13:42:49Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Communication |
| spelling | doaj.art-996820ad027e460da9dcfb30fed3b23f2022-12-21T23:43:32ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Communication2297-900X2022-01-01610.3389/fcomm.2021.822757822757Predicting Public Trust in Science: The Role of Basic Orientations Toward Science, Perceived Trustworthiness of Scientists, and Experiences With ScienceFlorian Wintterlin0Friederike Hendriks1Niels G. Mede2Rainer Bromme3Julia Metag4Mike S. Schäfer5Department of Communication, University of Muenster, Muenster, GermanyJunior Research Group, Communicating Scientists: Challenges, Competencies, Contexts (fourC), Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, GermanyDepartment of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandDepartment of Psychology, University of Muenster, Muenster, GermanyDepartment of Communication, University of Muenster, Muenster, GermanyDepartment of Communication and Media Research, University of Zurich, Zurich, SwitzerlandScientists (and science as a whole) provide evidence and advice for societal problem solving and collective decision-making. For this advice to be heard, the public must be willing to trust science, where “trust” means that one can confidently expect science to provide reliable knowledge and evidence, even if one’s understanding of science is bounded. According to the sociological and psychological literature, citizens’ basic attitudes toward, experiences with, and perceived trustworthiness of the trustee serve as antecedents of trust. From this, we developed a model for the public’s trust in science, and we tested this model in a nationally representative survey in Switzerland (N = 1,050). The analysis reveals that trust in science was best predicted by positivistic attitudes toward science (β = 0.33) and to a lesser extent by trustworthiness assessments of scientists (β = 0.24). Experiences with science did not predict trust in science (β = 0.07). These results suggest that stable basic attitudes toward science and its role in society are grounds on which trust in science can be built.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2021.822757/fullsurveystructural equation model—SEMpopulist attitudestrust in scienceattitudes towards science |
| spellingShingle | Florian Wintterlin Friederike Hendriks Niels G. Mede Rainer Bromme Julia Metag Mike S. Schäfer Predicting Public Trust in Science: The Role of Basic Orientations Toward Science, Perceived Trustworthiness of Scientists, and Experiences With Science Frontiers in Communication survey structural equation model—SEM populist attitudes trust in science attitudes towards science |
| title | Predicting Public Trust in Science: The Role of Basic Orientations Toward Science, Perceived Trustworthiness of Scientists, and Experiences With Science |
| title_full | Predicting Public Trust in Science: The Role of Basic Orientations Toward Science, Perceived Trustworthiness of Scientists, and Experiences With Science |
| title_fullStr | Predicting Public Trust in Science: The Role of Basic Orientations Toward Science, Perceived Trustworthiness of Scientists, and Experiences With Science |
| title_full_unstemmed | Predicting Public Trust in Science: The Role of Basic Orientations Toward Science, Perceived Trustworthiness of Scientists, and Experiences With Science |
| title_short | Predicting Public Trust in Science: The Role of Basic Orientations Toward Science, Perceived Trustworthiness of Scientists, and Experiences With Science |
| title_sort | predicting public trust in science the role of basic orientations toward science perceived trustworthiness of scientists and experiences with science |
| topic | survey structural equation model—SEM populist attitudes trust in science attitudes towards science |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomm.2021.822757/full |
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