Confidence in science and the belief in its positive impact has fallen among Americans, according to a Pew Research Center report released on November 14.
More than half (57%) of Americans believe science’s impact on society has been positive, down eight percentage points since 2021. More than a third (34%) say its influence on society has been both positive and negative. A small percentage (8%) of respondents say science’s impact has been mostly negative.
When it comes to acting in the public’s best interest, nearly three-quarters (74%) of Americans have “a great deal or fair amount of confidence” in scientists. But this is down 14 percentage points since the beginning of the pandemic.
The report found that as trust has decreased, distrust has increased. More than a quarter (27%) of Americans say they have neither “too much” nor “no confidence in scientists’ ability to act in the public’s best interest.
Still, most Americans (78%) say the government’s investment in scientific research is valuable. Additionally, 52% of Americans believe the country should be a world leader in scientific achievements.
“The Center survey of 8,842 U.S. adults conducted Sept. 25-Oct. 1, 2023, finds that, despite recent declines in ratings, scientists and medical scientists continue to be held in high regard compared with other prominent groups in society,” Brian Kennedy, a senior researcher and Alec Tyson, an associate director, write. “Smaller shares of Americans express confidence in business leaders, religious leaders, journalists and elected officials to act in the public’s best interests. As with scientists, most of these groups have seen their ratings decline in recent years.”
To read the full report, click here. For the study’s methodology, click here.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Director of The Raceless Gospel Initiative, an associate editor, host of the Good Faith Media podcast, “The Raceless Gospel” and author of Take Me to the Water: The Raceless Gospel as Baptismal Pedagogy for a Desegregated Church.
