What Can We Do About Science Denial, Doubt, and Resistance?

2021 ◽  
pp. 161-184
Author(s):  
Gale M. Sinatra ◽  
Barbara K. Hofer
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Biases ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Research On Teaching ◽  
Informed Citizenry ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
K 12

In this final chapter, “What Can We Do About Science Denial, Doubt, and Resistance?,” the authors summarize and expand their suggestions for improving public understanding and acceptance of scientific knowledge. They review their recommendations for how individuals can think critically about science, become aware of cognitive biases, and better evaluate scientific information. As educators, the authors draw on their combined decades of research on teaching critical thinking and reasoning to make practical recommendations that teachers in K–12 and higher education classrooms can adopt to develop science-savvy students capable of evaluating evidence and making informed decisions. They remind science communicators of the critical role they play in supporting public understanding of science and caution that they may inadvertently play into the public’s confusion about issues where scientists actually have strong consensus. The authors conclude with recommendations for what policy makers can do to support science education; combat science denial, doubt, and misunderstanding; and create a better-informed citizenry.

scholarly journals Does the apple fall far from the tree?: reviewing the communication of scientific information about GMOs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Kirby
Keyword(s):  
Social Epistemology ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Online Media ◽  
Online Content ◽  
The Public ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Textual Content ◽  
The Way

Online content is changing the way the public accesses and understands science. The staggering number of often conflicting online sources about science makes it difficult for the lay public to know where to turn in search of accurate scientific information. This project will examine how the nature of online content might be affecting how the public learns about science. Through textual content analyses, it will examine the chain of communication (scientists→online media→public) and document how scientific information evolves. Okanagan Specialty Fruits’ Arctic apple, a genetically modified organism (GMO) that has had the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) gene silenced, will be used as a case study. Three primary themes guide my research: the public understanding of science (PUS), the communication of risk and uncertainty, and social epistemology. The primacy of the PUS movement in public venues for science makes it an important theory for my project, while theories of risk/uncertainty and social epistemology will inform my analysis. My results suggest that: 1) stories about science often include over and understatements of uncertainties and risks; 2) online media stories apply rhetorical frames when reporting scientific information, but the way in which framing is used appears to be reflective of whether the author wishes to persuade their audience; and 3) the rhetorical frames used by online stories about science are not typically integrated into the public’s commentary in a meaningful way, supporting the notion that audiences are active rather than passive and that the public seeks out content that complements their pre-existing beliefs.

scholarly journals From liquid nitrogen to public engagement and city planning: the changing role of science events

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (04) ◽  
pp. C03 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Riise ◽  
Leonardo Alfonsi
Keyword(s):  
Public Engagement ◽  
Social Inclusion ◽  
City Planning ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Complex Data ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Cultural Sector ◽  
Changing Role

Public understanding of science has been replaced by engagement and participation, and science events, like festivals and science days, have become significant actors by offering direct contacts between scientists, public and policy-makers, as opportunities to engage and participate. After more than 20 years of festivals and events, the need for impact evidence is strong, although it is acknowledged that it will have to be based on complex data and observations. Many science events look for collaboration within the cultural sector. Social inclusion and participation in local and regional development are other important issues for the science events community.

Science Denial

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gale Sinatra ◽  
Barbara Hofer
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Literacy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Epistemic Cognition ◽  
Childhood Diseases ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Psychological Constructs ◽  
Or Practice ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Health And Well Being

How do individuals decide whether to accept human causes of climate change, vaccinate their children against childhood diseases, or practice social distancing during a pandemic? Democracies depend on educated citizens who can make informed decisions for the benefit of their health and well-being, as well as their communities, nations, and planet. Understanding key psychological explanations for science denial and doubt can help provide a means for improving scientific literacy and understanding—critically important at a time when denial has become deadly. In Science Denial: Why It Happens and What to Do About It, the authors identify the problem and why it matters and offer tools for addressing it. This book explains both the importance of science education and its limitations, shows how science communicators may inadvertently contribute to the problem, and explains how the internet and social media foster misinformation and disinformation. The authors focus on key psychological constructs such as reasoning biases, social identity, epistemic cognition, and emotions and attitudes that limit or facilitate public understanding of science, and describe solutions for individuals, educators, science communicators, and policy makers. If you have ever wondered why science denial exists, want to know how to understand your own biases and those of others, and would like to address the problem, this book will provide the insights you are seeking.

scholarly journals Percepção da ciência entre professores do ensino médio: comparação do consumo de informação científica entre docentes, estudantes e população de São Paulo / Perception of Science among High School Teachers: Comparison of Scientific Information Consumption among Teachers, Students and the Population of São Paulo

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 81-91
Author(s):  
Marcia Azevedo Coelho ◽  
Ana Paula Morales ◽  
Carlos Vogt
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Information ◽  
Research Area ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Pedagogical Practice ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Methodological Standard ◽  
Understanding Of Science

ABSTRACTResearch on Public Understanding of Science (PUS) has been established in Ibero America in recent years, strengthening the research area and developing a regional methodological standard (VOGT & POLINO, 2003). Between 2013 and 2016, we conducted the study Perception of School Teachers of the State of São Paulo on issues related to science and technology (S&T), that through the Scientific Information Consumption Indicator (Icic), allowed to relate teachers´ practices on S&T information with issues related to attitudes, interest, valuation and appropriation of scientific themes, as well as the pedagogical practice in the classroom. This article aims to promote reflection on teachers´ scientific information consumption in relation to other key players in the process of circulation of knowledge, such as young students and citizens in general, in order to ascertain whether a teacher training influences the level of information consumption on S&T and differentiates this professional from other social actors, concerning the perception of matters related to S&T and its influence on and for society.RESUMOAs pesquisas de percepção pública da ciência (PPC) têm se consolidado na Ibero-América nos últimos anos, fortalecendo a linha de pesquisa e desenvolvendo um padrão metodológico regional (VOGT & POLINO, 2003). Estudos nesse sentido têm sido realizados em diversos países, com diferentes públicos. Entre 2013 e 2016, foi realizada a pesquisa de Percepção de Professores de Ensino Médio do Estado de São Paulo sobre temas relacionados a ciência e tecnologia (C&T) que, por meio do Indicador de Consumo de Informação científica (Icic), permitiu relacionar as práticas informacionais de docentes sobre temas de C&T com questões relativas a atitudes, interesse, valoração e apropriação de temas científicos, bem como com a prática pedagógica em sala de aula. Este artigo objetiva promover a reflexão acerca do consumo de informação científica do professor em relação a outros atores importantes no processo de circulação do conhecimento, como jovens estudantes e cidadãos em geral, a fim de averiguar se a formação docente influencia no nível de consumo de informação sobre C&T e se diferencia esse profissional de outros atores sociais, no que concerne à percepção de assuntos relacionados a C&T e sua influência na e para a sociedade. Contato principal: [email protected]

What Role Can Science Education Play?

2021 ◽  
pp. 50-74
Author(s):  
Gale M. Sinatra ◽  
Barbara K. Hofer
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Science Education ◽  
Scientific Knowledge ◽  
Science Curriculum ◽  
The United States ◽  
Public Understanding Of Science ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
K 12 ◽  
National Trends

In international tests, the United States lags behind other developed nations in scientific knowledge, consistently scoring in the middle of the pack, motivating calls to strengthen the science curriculum in the United States, as reflected by the current standards movements in education. As educators, the authors make the case in Chapter 3, “What Role Can Science Education Play?,” that while increases in science instruction in K–12 education would be a net gain for increasing public understanding of science, education alone has its limits in addressing the broader problem. They provide examples from their own research and that of others of national trends that show the value of focusing science education on the process of how scientific knowledge is created and vetted. The authors offer suggestions to educators, communicators, and policy makers for supporting public understanding of science.

scholarly journals Cultural distance between peoples' worldview and scientific knowledge in the area of public health

2004 ◽  
Vol 03 (04) ◽  
pp. A01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gauhar Raza
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Distance ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Formal System ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Public ◽  
Modern Education ◽  
Distance Model ◽  
Understanding Of Science

The objective of the present paper is an attempt to measure the public understanding of science in the area of health and hygiene and test the efficacy of "cultural distance model". A pre-tested open-ended questionnaire was used for administering cross-sectional surveys at a religio-cultural festival in India. 3484 individuals were interviewed and responses were coded and entered to construct computer database. The data was used for determining the cultural distance of five scientific concepts from the quotidian life of the target population. In developing countries, the formal system of modern education operates as a strong determinant in shaping cultural structures of thoughts prevalent among the citizens. There exists a cultural distance between the scientific structure of configuring natural occurrences and peoples' complexity of thoughts. The distance varies significantly across the concepts that were subjected to the inspection and is a function of the nature of scientific information.

scholarly journals Epistemology, Structure and Urgency: The Sociology of Financial and Scientific Journalists

2007 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 86-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoff Cooper ◽  
Mary Ebeling
Keyword(s):  
Social Science ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Scientific Work ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
General Applicability ◽  
Complex Technology ◽  
The Media ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Social Scientific

This paper, which examines the work of journalists in one field, argues for the value of including journalists’ own understandings and practices in analyses of the role of the media. Moreover it suggests that, in this field, there may be more commonalities between the practices of journalism and social science than is commonly supposed. The paper is based upon a set of interviews with scientific and financial journalists, covering their interpretations of nanotechnologies and their development. Whereas much of the social scientific work to date in this area has been concerned with the public understanding of science, and the role that journalism plays in relation to this, our study addresses the parallel issue of how, in a field characterised by high levels of commercialisation, potential investors get information and make judgments about particular applications, and the extent to which journalism plays a key role in this process. Here, we focus not primarily on the ways in which the media frame understandings of a complex technology, important though they may be, but on the practical epistemological strategies that journalists employ to make sense of it. We argue that journalists can be seen to be engaged in epistemological strategies that are analogous to those of sociologists, and that this dimension is too easily missed by approaches that, for example, recommend that the correct unit of analysis should always be journalism rather than journalists. We conclude by suggesting that, whilst the general applicability of our argument to other fields of journalism is necessarily an empirical question, our approach may have more general significance for debates about the critical role of social science.

Kaleidoscoping public understanding of science on hygiene, health and plague: a survey in the aftermath of a plague epidemic in India

1997 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 247-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gauhar Raza ◽  
Bharvi Dutt ◽  
Surjit Singh
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Information ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Access To Information ◽  
The Public ◽  
Information Level ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Modern System ◽  
Degree Of Confidence ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
High Degree

In September 1994 a plague epidemic hit a number of cities in India. Though the spread of the disease was controlled within a short period of about one month, its influences on various channels of information, on the functioning of government departments (especially health and sanitation), on the scientific community and on people's scientific information level were remarkable. This paper analyses the responses of 1127 individuals interviewed in December 1994. The data indicates high levels of informedness about health, hygiene and plague, with little reference to extra-scientific explanations of the causes of the epidemic. Respondents expressed a high degree of confidence in the modern system of medicine. From this analysis we also infer that the public could not be described as `superstitious', `unscientific' or `unhygienic': only when denied access to information and civic amenities did they show extra-scientific thinking or `unhygienic' behaviour.

scholarly journals Does the apple fall far from the tree?: reviewing the communication of scientific information about GMOs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Kirby
Keyword(s):  
Social Epistemology ◽  
Scientific Information ◽  
Public Understanding ◽  
Online Media ◽  
Online Content ◽  
The Public ◽  
Understanding Of Science ◽  
Textual Content ◽  
The Way

Online content is changing the way the public accesses and understands science. The staggering number of often conflicting online sources about science makes it difficult for the lay public to know where to turn in search of accurate scientific information. This project will examine how the nature of online content might be affecting how the public learns about science. Through textual content analyses, it will examine the chain of communication (scientists→online media→public) and document how scientific information evolves. Okanagan Specialty Fruits’ Arctic apple, a genetically modified organism (GMO) that has had the polyphenol oxidase (PPO) gene silenced, will be used as a case study. Three primary themes guide my research: the public understanding of science (PUS), the communication of risk and uncertainty, and social epistemology. The primacy of the PUS movement in public venues for science makes it an important theory for my project, while theories of risk/uncertainty and social epistemology will inform my analysis. My results suggest that: 1) stories about science often include over and understatements of uncertainties and risks; 2) online media stories apply rhetorical frames when reporting scientific information, but the way in which framing is used appears to be reflective of whether the author wishes to persuade their audience; and 3) the rhetorical frames used by online stories about science are not typically integrated into the public’s commentary in a meaningful way, supporting the notion that audiences are active rather than passive and that the public seeks out content that complements their pre-existing beliefs.

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