People trust scientists seen to be ‘on their side’, UK study find

At a time when misinformation is rife and many seem to be questioning scientific evidence, do people really trust scientists? In the United Kingdom, the answer is mostly yes, finds a study led by the Policy Institute at King’s College London and Sense about Science, a charity based in London.

Trust in science: How to build and maintain public support in an era of polarization

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of 4,262 UK adults surveyed said they trust scientists, giving a score of 7 or higher on a zero to ten scale. Only 5% rated their trust at three or below.

To explore what drives trust and distrust of scientists, the researchers used regression modelling to identify factors most strongly associated with trust. The most influential factors were whether respondents felt that scientists are “on the side of people like them” and whether they thought of scientists as open and transparent. Both outweighed perceptions of scientific expertise.

Previous research has shown that benevolence — the idea that researchers care about society and want to do good — is a core pillar of public trust in science¹. Now Bobby Duffy, director of the Policy Institute at King’s College London and one of the authors of the UK study, says that the work reveals that trust in scientists was less associated with scientists being eager to work for the good of society in general (12%) and had more to do with whether they are on the side of people like the respondent (21%).

“In a politically divided society, people become much more interested in, ‘What’s in it for me?’” says Duffy.

Where trust falters

When the researchers delved into specific fields, they found that trust declined for scientists working on vaccines, space and climate (see ‘Pockets of trust’). And more people had more confidence in academics (12%) rather than in scientists working in government (42%) and in private companies (34%). Perhaps unsurprisingly, people with little trust in scientists are more likely to think conspiracy theories about climate change, vaccines and the effects of 5G phone towers are true, says the report.

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