Worldwide public opinion on science, research, and overall trust in scientists is still very strong, as shown by a recent study by researchers at Zurich-based universities that was conducted with 71,922 people from 68 different countries.
The survey’s results were published in the Nature Human Behaviour journal on Monday. The research was led by two academics at two Zurich-based universities, the University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, and the team was expanded to 241 researchers.
The survey found that the vast majority of participants trust scientists and concluded that they “should engage more in society and policymaking,” while 78% of respondents believe that scientists are qualified to conduct high-scale research.“Our results show that most people in most countries have a relatively high level of trust in scientists,” noted Viktoria Cologna, the principal researcher of the study.
The researchers noted in the study that the initial inspiration to conduct this survey was because the “epistemic authority of science has been challenged, causing concerns about low public trust in scientists.”
However, researchers discovered variations between countries in regard to the survey’s results. The study draws back to the COVID-19 virus, noting that societies that have a higher trust in scientists dealt with the pandemic better but stressing that some people had begun distrusting scientists long before the global pandemic.
Which kinds of people have more trust in science?
The research found that demographics with higher trust in science included women, people with a large income, older people, educated people, and those with left-wing or liberal political views.
Those found less likely to trust science include people with conservative political views in North America and Europe. However, conservatives who live in Southeast Asian, African, and even some Eastern European countries have demonstrated a higher trust in scientists.