Public Perception of Scientists

What is it about?

This research focuses on understanding how the characteristics of scientists themselves influence the way they are perceived by the general public. It explores whether the public preference for scientists varies based on their sociodemographic, partisan, and professional characteristics.

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Photo by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash

Photo by Vlad Tchompalov on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The research found that both natural and medical scientists are found more trustworthy than social scientists. Specifically, this finding may suggest a need for social scientists to take additional measures to facilitate comprehension of their research by a lay audience. In addition, sociodemographic characteristics do not have a strong impact on how they are perceived by the public. This is different from what was expected, as some of these characteristics could potentially affect trustworthiness of scientists. Consistent with the polarised political landscape in the U.S., people find their co-partisan scientists more trustworthy than others. However, once a scientist’s competence is the focal point in determining trustworthiness, this partisanship effect becomes less salient.