A science confidence gap: Education, trust in scientific methods, and trust in scientific institutions in the United States, 2014
A science confidence gap: Education, trust in scientific methods, and trust in scientific institutions in the United States, 2014
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DOI：
10.1177/0963662515617367
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发表时间：
2017-08-01
影响因子：
4.1
通讯作者：
van der Waal, Jeroen
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Achterberg, Peter;de Koster, Willem;van der Waal, Jeroen
在对科学态度是多维度的建议的基础上，我们分析了2014年在美国收集的具有全国代表性的调查数据（N=2006），并证明了科学信心差距的存在：一些人对科学方法和原则非常信任，但同时不信任科学机构。这种科学信心差距与教育水平密切相关：受教育程度较低的人比受教育程度较高的人信心差距更大。我们调查了这些教育差异的解释。反身现代化理论的假设没有通过检验，而社会失范理论的假设得到了证实。受教育程度较低的人更失范（他们有更多由现代性引起的文化不满），这不仅是他们对科学机构不信任的基础，也助长了他们对科学方法和原则的信任。这就解释了为什么这种科学信心差距在受教育程度较低的人群中最为明显。
Following up on suggestions that attitudes toward science are multi-dimensional, we analyze nationally representative survey data collected in the United States in 2014 (N=2006), and demonstrate the existence of a science confidence gap: some people place great trust in scientific methods and principles, but simultaneously distrust scientific institutions. This science confidence gap is strongly associated with level of education: it is larger among the less educated than among the more educated. We investigate explanations for these educational differences. Whereas hypotheses deduced from reflexive-modernization theory do not pass the test, those derived from theorizing on the role of anomie are corroborated. The less educated are more anomic (they have more modernity-induced cultural discontents), which not only underlies their distrust in scientific institutions, but also fuels their trust in scientific methods and principles. This explains why this science confidence gap is most pronounced among the less educated.