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May 4, 2022 · Some polls show that “science” and “medicine,” defined broadly, retain high overall trust in the United States, right up there with the military. Where people turn skeptical is when scientists draw conclusions about issues that pluck sensitive chords — namely, telling people what to do.
Jul 1, 2021 · But in their zeal to fight back against vaccine rejection and other forms of science denial, some scientists say things that just aren't true—and you can't build trust if the things you are...
- Untrustworthy Scientists
- Resistance
- Contradictions
- Political Amplification
- Understanding Anti-Science
The first key reason people are anti-science is that they don’t see scientists as credible. This happens when scientists’ expertise is questioned, when they are deemed untrustworthy and when they appear biased. Although debate among scientists is a healthy part of the scientific process, many lay people interpret legitimate scientific debate as a s...
People also tend to reject scientific information when it conflicts with their social identities. For example, video gamers are resistant to scientific evidence for the harms of playing video games. People may also identify with social groups that reject scientific evidence and hate scientists or those who agree with scientists. For example, those ...
People often reject science because of their beliefs, attitudes and values. When scientific information contradicts what people believe is true or good, they feel uncomfortable. They resolve this discomfort by simply rejecting the science. For people who have smoked their entire lives, the evidence that smoking kills is uncomfortable because it con...
Political forces are powerful contributors to anti-science attitudes. This is because politics can trigger or amplify all four of the key reasons for being anti-science. Politics can determine which sources seem credible, exposing people with different political ideologies to different scientific information and misinformation. Politics is also an ...
All in all, these core determinants of anti-science attitudes help us understand what is driving rejection of diverse scientific theories and innovations, ranging from new vaccines to the evidence for climate change. Fortunately, by understanding these bases for being anti-science, we can also better understand how to target such sentiments and inc...
Jul 18, 2022 · Why are so many people anti-science? As experts on attitudes, persuasion and how humans are impacted by scientific innovations, our recent research showed that there are four key reasons people reject scientific information.
Jul 16, 2022 · A new study looks at why some people mistrust scientific evidence, and suggests what researchers might do to address this lack of trust.
- Annie Lennon
Oct 9, 2020 · Indeed, the paradox is that science, when properly functioning, questions accepted facts and yields both new knowledge and new questions—not certainty. Doubt does not create trust, nor does...
May 16, 2018 · Research misconduct, irreproducible results, retractions, conflicts of interest, and other issues surrounding the scientific process can erode public trust in science and scientists. To what extent do these violations of research integrity threaten the reputation of science?
People also ask
What if people don't understand how science works?
Why are scientists distrusted?
Would blind societal trust in science be democratically undesirable?
Do certainties undermine the scientific process?
Why do people reject science?
Why do people reject scientific evidence?
