{"id":10468,"date":"2019-08-05T07:00:31","date_gmt":"2019-08-05T12:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/%year%\/%monthnum%\/%day%\/5-key-findings-about-public-trust-in-scientists-in-the-u-s\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T02:11:00","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T07:11:00","slug":"5-key-findings-about-public-trust-in-scientists-in-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2019\/08\/05\/5-key-findings-about-public-trust-in-scientists-in-the-u-s\/","title":{"rendered":"5 key findings about public trust in scientists in the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite ongoing debates over science-related issues, Americans have broadly positive views of scientists and their work, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/science\/2019\/08\/02\/trust-and-mistrust-in-americans-views-of-scientific-experts\/\">a new Pew Research Center survey<\/a>. But Americans are more tepid when it comes to trusting scientists\u2019 competence, credibility and concern for the public interest \u2013 and they are largely skeptical of scientists\u2019 transparency and accountability.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Here are five key findings about public trust in scientists, drawn from the new survey:<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2019\/08\/05\/5-key-findings-about-public-trust-in-scientists-in-the-u-s\/ft_19-08-05_trustscientiststakeaways_americans-confidence-scientists-act-public-interest-up-2016_2\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-318293310\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/FT_19.08.05_TrustScientistsTakeaways_Americans-confidence-scientists-act-public-interest-up-2016_2.png?w=310\" alt=\"Americans' confidence in scientists to act in the public interest up since 2016\" ><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Public confidence in scientists to act in the public interest has increased in recent years. Overall, 35% of Americans say they have a great deal of confidence in scientists, up 14 percentage points from 2016. Americans have about the same level of confidence in scientists as they do in the military \u2013 and more than they do in some other groups and institutions, including the news media, business leaders and elected officials.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Half or more of Americans have positive views about each of six professional groups asked about in the survey.<\/strong> The public is warmest toward medical doctors: About three-quarters (74%) say they have a mostly positive view of doctors, 18% are neutral and just 8% have a negative view. Majorities also have positive opinions of medical researchers (68%), dietitians (60%), environmental health specialists (60%) and environmental researchers (57%). About half (51%) have positive overall views of nutrition researchers. <!--more--><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Majorities trust medical doctors and dietitians to care about their patients\u2019 best interests, but trust in other scientists is lower. <\/strong>Respondents were asked whether scientists in each of the six specialties could be trusted to act with competence, to present their recommendations or research findings accurately, and to care about people\u2019s best interests. Americans tend to trust practitioners in medicine and nutrition \u2013 who directly interact with patients \u2013 more than researchers in these areas. For example, a majority of Americans (57%) say medical doctors care about patients\u2019 best interests all or most of the time, while far fewer (35%) say medical researchers always or usually care about the public\u2019s interests. And 60% say dietitians care about their patients\u2019 best interests all of most of the time, compared with 29% who say nutrition research scientists care about the public interest with the same frequency. But trust in environmental health specialists \u2013 practitioners who offer recommendations to organizations and community groups \u2013 is about the same as that for environmental researchers.<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2019\/08\/05\/5-key-findings-about-public-trust-in-scientists-in-the-u-s\/ft_19-08-05_trustscientiststakeaways_trust-medical-doctors-dietitians-higher-than-for-researchers-these-areas_2\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-318291640\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/FT_19.08.05_TrustScientistsTakeaways_Trust-medical-doctors-dietitians-higher-than-for-researchers-these-areas_2.png?w=640\" alt=\"Trust in medical doctors and dietitians is higher than for researchers in these areas\" ><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Most turn a skeptical eye to issues of scientific integrity. <\/strong>Minorities of Americans believe scientists are transparent about potential conflicts of interest with industry all or most of the time. Shares saying this range from 12% to 19%, depending on the specific type of work being asked about. Similarly, few Americans (from 11% to 18%) think scientists admit and take responsibility for their mistakes all or most of the time. And small shares see repercussions for misconduct as commonplace: No more than two-in-ten U.S. adults say scientists in each field of work face serious consequences for misconduct all or most of the time.<\/p>\n\n<p class=\"is-style-has-big-number wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2019\/08\/05\/5-key-findings-about-public-trust-in-scientists-in-the-u-s\/ft_19-08-05_trustscientiststakeaways_public-less-trusting-industry-funded-research_2\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-318292420\" src=\"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/FT_19.08.05_TrustScientistsTakeaways_Public-less-trusting-industry-funded-research_2.png?w=420\" alt=\"Public is less trusting of industry-funded research\" ><\/a><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Open access to data and independent review of research increase public confidence in research findings. The survey asked respondents about four factors that could affect their trust in research findings. More than half of Americans (57%) say they trust research findings <em>more<\/em> if the data from the study is openly available to the public, and 52% say they trust research findings more if they have been reviewed by an independent committee. In contrast, a majority of Americans (58%) say industry funding makes them trust scientific findings <em>less<\/em>. The influence of government funding on public trust is less clear: About a quarter (23%) say it makes the findings more trustworthy, 28% say it makes findings less trustworthy and about half (48%) say it makes no difference.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Americans have broadly positive views of scientists and their work but are more tepid when it comes to trusting their competence, credibility and concern for the public 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