{"id":104954,"date":"2019-08-02T13:42:19","date_gmt":"2019-08-02T18:42:19","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2024-07-23T16:49:28","modified_gmt":"2024-07-23T20:49:28","slug":"trust-and-mistrust-in-americans-views-of-scientific-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/science\/2019\/08\/02\/trust-and-mistrust-in-americans-views-of-scientific-experts\/","title":{"rendered":"Trust and Mistrust in Americans\u2019 Views of Scientific Experts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"Americans'<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In an era when science and politics often appear to collide, public confidence in scientists is on the upswing, and six-in-ten Americans say scientists should play an active role in policy debates about scientific issues, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The survey finds public confidence in scientists on par with confidence in the military. It also exceeds the levels of public confidence in other groups and institutions, including the media, business leaders and elected officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the same time, Americans are divided along party lines in terms of how they view the value and objectivity of scientists and their ability to act in the public interest. And, while political divides do not carry over to views of all scientists and scientific issues, there are particularly sizable gaps between Democrats and Republicans when it comes to trust in scientists whose work is related to the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Confidence<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Higher levels of familiarity with the work of scientists are associated with more positive and more trusting views of scientists regarding their competence, credibility and commitment to the public, the survey shows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, 86% of Americans say they have at least \u201ca fair amount\u201d of confidence in scientists to act in the public interest. This includes 35% who have \u201ca great deal\u201d of confidence, up from 21% in 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But a partisan divide persists. More Democrats (43%) than Republicans (27%) have \u201ca great deal\u201d of confidence in scientists \u2013 a difference of 16 percentage points. The gap between the two parties on this issue (including independents who identify with each party, respectively) was 11 percentage points in 2016 and has remained at least that large since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Political<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are also clear political divisions over the role of scientific experts in policy matters, with Democrats more likely to want experts involved and to trust their judgment. Most Democrats (73%) believe scientists should take an active role in scientific policy debates. By contrast, a majority of Republicans (56%) say scientists should focus on establishing sound scientific facts and stay out of such policy debates. The two political groups also differ over whether scientific experts are generally better at making decisions about scientific policy issues than other people: 54% of Democrats say they are, while 66% of Republicans think scientists\u2019 decisions are no different from or worse than other people\u2019s. Finally, Democrats and Republicans have different degrees of faith in scientists\u2019 ability to be unbiased; 62% of Democrats say scientists\u2019 judgments are based solely on facts, while 55% of Republicans say scientists\u2019 judgments are just as likely to be biased as other people\u2019s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Center\u2019s new survey highlights the degree to which the public values scientific expertise and how those perceptions are sometimes shaped by the crosscurrents of politics as well as familiarity with scientists and their work. More specifically, it shines a spotlight on trust and potential sources of mistrust connected with scientists who work in three fields: medicine, nutrition and the environment. They include medical research scientists, medical doctors, nutrition research scientists, dietitians, environmental research scientists and environmental health specialists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The survey of 4,464 adults was conducted in January 2019 using Pew Research Center\u2019s American Trends Panel, a nationally representative panel of randomly selected U.S. adults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The survey probed for people\u2019s trust in scientists, along with potential sources of mistrust. To capture trust, the survey asked respondents how often they can count on scientists to perform their jobs with competence, to show care or concern for the public and to present their findings or recommendations in a fair and accurate way. The survey also asked for views about scientific integrity, including the extent to which misconduct is a problem, the degree to which scientists are open about potential conflicts of interest, and whether they accept accountability for mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among other important findings:<\/p>\n\n\n\n