When guidance changes: Government stances and public beliefs

Discussion of sectarianism often focuses on evidence purporting to show discriminatory behaviour directed at Catholics or Protestants in Scotland. But attitudes also matter – in sustaining (or preventing) such discriminatory behaviours, and in understanding the nature of the ‘problem of sectarianism’ from the perspective of the Scottish public. This paper uses data from the Scottish Social Attitudes survey 2014. The survey fills a gap in the evidence base by providing robust evidence on what the public actually thinks about sectarianism in modern Scotland. It assesses public beliefs about the extent and nature of sectarianism and its perceived causes. Tensions in public opinion and differences in the attitudes of different sections of Scottish society are explored.

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Dealing with Normatively Inappropriate Dissent

10.1093/oso/9780190869229.003.0006 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Inmaculada de Melo-Martín ◽

Kristen Intemann

Keyword(s):

Social Impacts ◽

Reliable Identification ◽

Public Beliefs ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

Epistemic Obligations

This chapter considers whether the reliable identification of normatively inappropriate dissent (NID) would be helpful in addressing many of the adverse epistemic and social impacts that can result from it. It considers a variety of ways in which such identification could be used to minimize the epistemic and social damages that NID can inflict, including prohibiting the dissent in question, targeting it for special scrutiny, placing limits on scientists’ epistemic obligations, guiding public beliefs, emphasizing the existence of a consensus, and discrediting dissenters. It shows that although some of these strategies could be useful, others are unhelpful in limiting the negative impacts of NID, and may even exacerbate them or generate other equally serious problems.

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Public beliefs on the relationship between lying and memory

Psychology Crime and Law ◽

10.1080/1068316x.2021.1929979 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-24

Author(s):

Paul Riesthuis ◽

Henry Otgaar ◽

Fabiana Battista ◽

Ivan Mangiulli

Keyword(s):

Public Beliefs ◽

The Relationship

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Public beliefs about high-voltage powerlines in Norway, Sweden and the United Kingdom: A comparative survey

Energy Research & Social Science ◽

10.1016/j.erss.2014.04.012 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 2 ◽

pp. 30-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 52

Author(s):

Øystein Aas ◽

Patrick Devine-Wright ◽

Torvald Tangeland ◽

Susana Batel ◽

Audun Ruud

Keyword(s):

United Kingdom ◽

High Voltage ◽

Public Beliefs ◽

The United Kingdom ◽

Comparative Survey

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Renaming schizophrenia to reduce stigma: comparison with the case of bipolar disorder

The British Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/bjp.bp.114.146217 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 206 (4) ◽

pp. 341-342 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Nell Ellison ◽

Oliver Mason ◽

Katrina Scior

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Social Distance ◽

Manic Depression ◽

Public Beliefs ◽

Beliefs And Attitudes

SummaryRenaming disorders to change public beliefs and attitudes remains controversial. This study compared the potentially destigmatising effects of renaming schizophrenia with the effects of renaming bipolar disorder by comparing the label ‘schizophrenia’ to ‘integration disorder’, and ‘bipolar disorder’ to ‘manic depression’, in 1621 lay participants. ‘Bipolar disorder’ was associated with less fear and social distance than ‘manic depression’. ‘Integration disorder’ was associated with increased endorsement of a biopsychosocial cause and reduced attributions of dangerousness but also increased social distance, highlighting the complex effects renaming has on stigma.

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