A recent report released by the Pew Research Center indicates that trust in science and scientists amongst Americans has declined since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Only 57% of American adults believe science has a “mostly positive” impact on society, an 8% decrease since November 2021 and a 16% drop since the beginning of the pandemic. These findings were gathered from a survey of over 8,800 U.S. adults conducted in the final week of September.
Furthermore, more than a third of respondents viewed the impact of science as both positive and negative, while 8% felt it was primarily negative.
Political divisions were evident in the survey results: Republicans expressed less confidence in scientists and the benefits of science compared to Democrats. In fact, less than half of Republicans (47%) believed science has had a predominantly positive effect on society, down from 70% in 2019. On the other hand, 69% of Democrats hold this view, although it has decreased by 8 points since 2019.
Dr. Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist and anti-misinformation advocate at the University of Illinois Chicago, observed, “It’s really kind of an information divide. There’s been a kind of a monotonic decrease since 2019 in trust in science. It’s kind of stunning.”
Public Perceptions and Trust in Scientists
Despite the decline in trust, nearly three-quarters of U.S. adults still have confidence in scientists acting in the public’s best interest. According to the report, over 1 in 4 Americans expressed “not too much” or “no confidence” in scientists, and only 23% claimed to have a “great deal of confidence,” down from 39% in 2020.
Author of the report and senior researcher at Pew, Brian Kennedy noted that trust in scientists had been increasing steadily from 2016 until the pandemic, after which it experienced a sharp decline.
Epidemiologist Dr. Katrine Wallace attributed the rise of scientific mistrust to the “infodemic” about Covid-19, which led to “chaos, bewilderment, message fatigue, and people just kind of checking out.” This included an overflow of conflicting information and opinions about the virus and its preventive measures.
She further explained that social media platforms played a role in funneling users into informational “echo chambers”, strengthening the divide and leading to an increase in scientific mistrust.
Dr. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, believes that a targeted and deliberate movement from the far right sought to discredit science and scientists, contributing to the erosion of trust.
Political Polarization in Trust in Science
The Pew report also highlights the political trust gap, showing that mistrust in scientists varied widely depending on political party affiliation. Approximately 40% of Republicans expressed little or no confidence in scientists, a significant increase from the 14% recorded at the start of the pandemic.
Furthermore, trust in scientists decreased among Democratic respondents, with only 37% expressing a “great deal” of confidence in scientists, down from a record high of 55% in November 2020.
According to Kennedy, the trust gap between Democrats and Republicans has widened even further since the pandemic started, adding to the already existing divide.
The report also noted disparities based on education levels, with 80% of college graduates expressing confidence in scientists compared to 69% of those with some or no college education.
Beliefs in Scientific Investment
Despite the decline in trust toward science and scientists, 78% of Americans still believe government investments in scientific research are “worthwhile,” with support from both Democrats and Republicans.
Over half of Americans view it as “very important” for the United States to be a world leader in scientific achievements. Hotez suggests that a more inclusive approach to science communication and a concerted effort against scientific misinformation will help rebuild trust in science and scientists.
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