A global study finds a positive correlation between scientific knowledge and attitudes toward science, with nuanced cultural variations.
A widely
recognized trend suggests that individuals with a deeper understanding of
scientific concepts tend to hold more favorable attitudes toward science. This
implies that as people gain more knowledge about scientific principles,
theories, and discoveries, they are increasingly inclined to appreciate the
importance of science in society.
In a recent
study published in PLOS ONE by Sturgis and colleagues, the first global
investigation of the relationship between science knowledge and attitudes was
undertaken. Utilizing data from the 2018 Wellcome Global Monitor survey, which
provided insights from 144 countries worldwide, including both high- and
middle-income nations, researchers explored the association between the two
factors.
The study
identified a consistent and robust positive correlation between science
knowledge and attitudes across the majority of countries examined. This
suggests that regardless of a nation's economic status or level of development,
individuals with greater scientific knowledge are more likely to hold positive
attitudes toward science.
Since the
emergence of the field of public understanding of science, there has been a
contentious debate surrounding the relationship between scientific knowledge
and attitudes toward science and technology. At the core of this debate lies
the concept that greater scientific knowledge leads to more positive
perceptions of science. This concept, often criticized as the 'deficit model'
of public attitudes towards science, suggests that resistance to controversial
scientific topics arises from a lack of awareness and understanding of
scientific principles. According to this perspective, when individuals have low
or no scientific knowledge, fear of the unknown and misunderstandings
contribute to negative reactions to scientific progress.
In
2008, Allum and colleagues conducted a meta-analysis on the connection
between knowledge and attitudes toward science, revealing a modest positive
correlation. However, their research was limited to high- and middle-income
democracies, which restricted the applicability of their findings. This led
them to propose the 'cultural invariance hypothesis', suggesting a universal
positive relationship between scientific knowledge and attitudes across diverse
cultures and socio-political contexts.
The recent
study by Sturgis et al. reexamined the association between scientific knowledge
and attitudes, but within a dataset encompassing a broader range of countries
and societal contexts worldwide. To accomplish this, the researchers utilized
the 2018 Wellcome Global Monitor (WGM) survey, which gathered data from over
149,000 respondents across 144 countries. Utilizing the content of the WGM
questionnaire, they assessed the correlation using two commonly employed
indicators of scientific knowledge from previous studies: one focused on
'science literacy', and the other derived from participants' self-assessments
of their understanding of science.
The results found
that countries varied significantly in both measures of science knowledge. For
example, Hungary and the United States scored highest in science literacy,
while Vietnam and Cambodia scored lowest. Also, countries like the US had more
people who said they knew a lot about science, while countries like Myanmar and
Vietnam had fewer. The researchers also looked at how people’s knowledge about
science relates to their feelings about it. They found that in most countries,
people who know more about science tend to have more positive feelings about
it. This was true even after they considered other things like people’s age and
demography. The research concluded that in most countries, knowing more about science
tends to make people feel more positive about it.
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| Figure 1 Global distribution of science knowledge. Source: Sturgis et al., CC BY 4.0 Deed |
On the other
hand, the study also acknowledged some limitations. For instance, the measure
of science literacy used in the study was based on only three questions, which
might not fully capture people's understanding of science. Despite this
limitation, the findings were surprisingly consistent across countries.
Another
limitation is that the study couldn't determine causality - whether knowing
more about science leads to more positive attitudes, or if it's the other way
around. Nonetheless, the researchers hope that these findings will inspire
further exploration into why this relationship exists.
Back in the
day, when researchers started poking around the topic of how much people
know about science and how they feel about it, they kicked off a whole bunch of
studies. They wanted to see if there’s a link between what folks know about science
and whether they’re fans of science and tech. Why as this such a big deal?
Well, a lot of smart folks assumed that if you know your science, you’re
probably going to dig it. And if you’re not into certain science stuffs, it’s
likely because you don’t get it.
The idea,
called the “deficit model,” got a bit of backing from surveys done in the US
and Europe. These surveys found that many folk were fuzzy on some basic science
facts, like which thing orbits which in space or how tiny electrons are compared
to atoms. Then in 2008, a big study looked at a bunch of other studies to find
a little link between knowing science and liking it, mostly in wealthier countries.
But knowing science didn’t explain everything about why people feel the way
they do about it.
Since then,
more studies have looked into this link between knowing stuff about science and
how people feel about it. Turns out, knowing more science tends to go hand in
hand with supporting things like stem cell research, tackling climate change,
or getting on board with nanotechnology. But there's a twist—some studies found
that when it comes to certain groups or controversial topics, being a science
smarty-pants doesn't always mean you're all in. For example, some folks who
know a lot about biofuel tech actually worry more about its risks.
While we've got
a good handle on how personal beliefs and values play into this
science-knowing-feelings-about-science combo, we've kinda ignored the bigger
picture—like how where we live might influence things. Turns out, in countries
where people are already pretty well off, they might not be as gung-ho about
science as folks in places that are still catching up economically. It's like,
in those more advanced countries, people start asking questions about whether
science is always good for everyone, while in other places, they're still super
excited about the possibilities science brings.