Mathew Marques, Niels Mede, Viktoria Cologna, Zoe Leviston, conversation
Credit: UNSPLASH/CC0 Public domain
People’s trust in scientists is essential. It helps a personal decision on health and other issues, and provides policy proposals based on evidence to support the government in crisis such as community pandemic and climate change.
A survey of 71,922 people in 68 countries found that 241 researchers had relatively high trust in scientists.
In particular, people want scientists to play a positive role in society and policy decisions. Our results have been published today in the behavior of natural human beings.
So what does this mean for a society, and for scientists and policy proprieters who are trying to maintain and build trust? This is the lesson we learned.
Rumors of “crisis”
According to reports and opinion polls, most people trust science, and scientists are one of the most reliable people in society. However, science and scientists have a frequent claim of “crisis of trust.”
For example, some studies that suggest that media reports on public opinion polls can function as self -realized prophecy or feed buckwhnters can impair scientific reliability by describing trust crisis. I have sex.
Other research suggests that media policy stories affect public opinion through framing. For example, exposure to conservative media reports on scientific controversy increases scientists and denies climate change.
Our research is beyond the Western world and covers many researchers in southern global. In fact, he tested whether his trust in scientists was low and whether the level of trust varies considerably from country to country.
A truly global survey
We have conducted many crowdsourcosing, including the same translated survey in 68 countries on all residents.
The data was collected between November 2022 and August 2023. Our samples have been weighted according to age, gender, education, and national sample -sized national distribution. You can use this data dashboard to interact with global and national data.
The reliability of scientists was measured using the recognized abilities, mercy, honesty, and openness.
How many people around the world trust scientists?
You can see that most people around the world have relatively high trust in scientists (average level of reliable level = 3.62, 1 = to very high trust).
Worldwide, people recognize that they have high abilities, moderate honesty, and compassionate intentions, but have not been slightly open for feedback. The majority of respondents also recognize that scientists are qualified (78 %) and honest (57 %), and are concerned about the happiness of people (56 %).
No country showed that scientists were less reliable.
Australia has been ranked fifth in the trust of scientists, greatly exceeding the world average, and ranks only in Egypt, India, Nigeria and Kenya.
Is there a difference in trust based on who you are?
The results of our surveys worldwide are slightly for women, the elderly, urban (rural areas) residents, and those who have high income, religion, formal education, liberal, left and right political views. It indicates that it is expensive.
In most countries, political orientation and trust in scientists were irrelevant. However, in Western countries, people with conservative (leaning to the right) have less trust in scientists. This is consistent with North American research.
In Australia, unlike North America and many other European nations, it was not a problem to have a liberal political orientation with conservatives and conservatives. This can mean that political polarization in science is not a problem in specific scientific issues such as climate change.
What seemed to make a difference worldwide was how many people supported people called social dominance. This is an unequal preference between social groups. These high -owned people have a significant trust of scientists. This is consistent with previous research.
How do scientists think they behave?
Most of the investigators agree with science, which plays a positive role in society and policy decisions.
83 % of respondents, worldwide, think that scientists should communicate with the general public about science. This is especially true in African countries.
As a whole, about half (49 %), scientists should actively advocate specific policies, and we believe that scientists should be more involved in the policy decision process (52 %).
In Australia, we believe that about two -thirds of scientists should actively propose specific policies (66 %), and the majority believe that scientists should be involved in the policy decision process. (62 %).
What do people think that scientists should prioritize?
Many people around the world feel that priority to science is not always in harmony with their priority.
This is important. This is because the contradiction between the priority of the perceived research and the desired priority is related to the trust of scientists. The less people who trust scientists, the more likely that scientists’ efforts do not meet their personal expectations for their own work.
In general, respondents are assigned to research that focuses on improving public health, solves energy issues and reduces poverty.
Studies on defense and the development of military technology have been assigned to the lowest priority. Globally, the respondents believe that science is prioritized more than originally.
However, there are major differences between global regions. People in Africa and Asian countries believe that the development of defense and military technology should have higher priority.
There is no crisis, but these are valuable insights
Our survey reflects the Western polls that scientists are one of the most reliable people in society. Our results around the world indicate that we believe that we should be involved in high -level trust in scientists and society and policy decisions.
This does not support the story of trust in science.
Importantly, our survey results emphasize some areas of concerns. Worldwide, less than half of respondents (42 %) believe that scientists pay attention to others’ views. Scientists are very competent, are considered to be very competent with moderate perfection and merciful intentions, but they are not open for feedback.
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There is also a gap between the recognized priority and desirable priority items related to trust.
It is recommended that scientists take these results seriously. They should accept feedback and find ways to open dialogue with the general public. In Western countries, scientists need to consider new methods to reach conservative groups.
In the long term, scientists also need to consider the roles in setting priority to the public value.
Provided by conversation
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Quotation: Most of our trust scientists are about 72,000 people from the world that were acquired on January 25, 2025 on January 25, 2025 from January 25, 2025 The survey of January 25, 2025) is shown.
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