scholarly journals Political Endorsements by Scientific Organizations Reduce Trust in Scientific Expertise During COVID-19

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Floyd Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Presidential Election ◽  
Scientific Community ◽  
Community Treatment ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Scientific Organizations ◽  
Scientific Expertise ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Political Backlash

Abstract High-profile political endorsements by scientific organizations and publications have been common in recent years, which raises concerns about political backlash against the endorsing organization in particular and scientific expertise in general. In a pre-registered large-sample online controlled experiment, I randomly assign subjects to receive information about Nature's endorsement of Joe Biden for the 2020 U.S. presidential election in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Seeing the endorsement message leads to large reductions in self-reported trust in Nature among Trump supporters. This distrust translates into lower demand for COVID-related information provided by Nature, as evidenced by substantially reduced requests for Nature articles on vaccine efficacy and emerging COVID variants when offered. The endorsement also reduces Trump supporters' stated trust in scientists in general, suggesting "reputational externalities" on the scientific community. Treatment effect estimates for Biden supporters are positive but small and often statistically insignificant across outcomes. Finally, I find little evidence that the endorsement is successful at changing subjects' views about Biden and Trump. These results show political endorsement by scientific organizations can undermine public confidence in the endorsing organization and in the scientific community.

Scientific Failure as a Public Good: Illustrating the Process of Science and Its Contrast with Pseudoscience

Pseudoscience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chad Orzel
Keyword(s):  
Scientific Community ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Educational Opportunity ◽  
Research Community ◽  
The Other ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Primordial Gravitational Waves ◽  
The Face ◽  
Media Channels

Scientists and science communicators often lament high-profile public failures as "hurting science" by sowing doubt that can be exploited by purveyors of pseudo-science. I will argue that, on the contrary, these public failures can play a useful role in public discourse, by illustrating the proper process of science. Failures of genuine science are characterized by engagement with the research community, debate conducted via appropriate professional channels, and self-correction by the original researchers. Pseudoscience, on the other hand, is generally produced by individuals from outside the community, is promoted via mass-media channels, and involves stubborn refusal to shift conclusions in the face of criticism from the mainstream scientific community. I illustrate this contrast with three examples: the 2011 superluminal neutrino anomaly reported by the OPERA collaboration, the 2014 claim of primordial gravitational waves by the BICEP2 collaboration, and the pseudoscientific field of “hydrino” physics. The stark contrast between the process of genuine science and the behavior of pseudoscientists provides an educational opportunity that public advocates of science can use to bolster public confidence in the integrity of science.

scholarly journals Defaults versus framing: Revisiting Default Effect and Framing Effect with replications and extensions of Johnson and Goldstein (2003) and Johnson, Bellman, and Lohse (2002)

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subramanya Prasad Chandrashekar ◽  
Nadia Adelina ◽  
Shiyuan Zeng ◽  
CHIU Yan Ying Esther ◽  
Grace Yat Sum Leung ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organ Donation ◽  
Health Survey ◽  
Framing Effect ◽  
Default Option ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Health Related ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Highly Cited

People tend to stick with a default option instead of switching to another option. For instance, Johnson and Goldstein (2003) found a default effect in an organ donation scenario: if organ donation is the default option, people are more inclined to consent to it. Johnson et al. (2002) found a similar default effect in a health-survey scenarios: if receiving more information about your health is the default, people are more inclined to consent to it. Much of the highly cited, impactful work on these default effects, however, has not been replicated in well-powered samples. In two well-powered samples (N = 1920), we conducted a close replication of the default effect in Johnson and Goldstein (2003) and in Johnson, Bellman, and Lohse (2002). We successfully replicated Johnson and Goldstein (2003). In an extension of the original findings, we also show that default effects are unaffected by the permanence of these selections. We, however, failed to replicate the findings of Johnson, Bellman, and Lohse’s (2002) study; we did not find evidence for a default effect. We did, however, find a framing effect: participants who read a positively-framed scenario consented to receive health-related information at a higher rate than participants who read a negatively framed scenario. We also conducted a conceptual replication of Johnson et al. (2002) that was based on an organ-donation scenario, but this attempt failed to find a default effect. Our results suggest that default effects depend on framing and context. Materials, data, and code are available on: https://osf.io/8wd2b/.

scholarly journals Relief After COVID-19 Vaccination: A Doubtful or Evident Outcome?

2022 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed Khaled Al-Hanawi ◽  
Noor Alshareef ◽  
Rehab H. El-Sokkary
Keyword(s):  
Herd Immunity ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Severe Reaction ◽  
Vaccination Policy ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Post Vaccination ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Mandatory Vaccination

Background: Since development of the first COVID-19 vaccine, the landscape of public confidence in these vaccines is uncertain. Building confidence is crucial for better preparedness of future pandemics. Following the mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy in the country, the aim of this study was to examine whether the Saudi public feels relieved post-vaccination and to identify the factors predicting such relief.Methods: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted in July 2021 among COVID-19 vaccine recipients in Saudi Arabia. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to examine and identify the variables associated with feeling relieved post-vaccination.Results: Most of the respondents (66%) stated feeling more relieved post-vaccination. Male gender [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.380; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.981–1.943], being a student (AOR: 3.902; 95% CI: 1.674–9.096), and received two doses of the vaccine (AOR: 2.278; 95% CI: 1.630–3.182) were associated with feeling more relieved after getting vaccinated. Respondents who were anxious about the vaccine before receiving it (AOR: 0.220; 95% CI: 0.160–0.302), and experienced a severe reaction after vaccination (AOR: 0.288; 95% CI: 0.165–0.504) had lower odds of feeling relieved post-vaccination. Respondents who relied on social media as the main source of vaccine-related information and those having no information about the vaccine were also less likely to feel relieved post-vaccination.Conclusions: Individuals' attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines may not necessarily alter post-vaccination. Although mandatory vaccination policies can significantly contribute to achieving herd immunity, public confidence toward vaccines might be eroded, which could in turn impose significant challenges in future pandemics efforts.

scholarly journals Facebook and a Fair Trial: Caution, Challenge and Contradiction

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 135-151
Author(s):  
Kate Tubridy
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Critical Discourse Analysis ◽  
Digital Communication ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Fair Trial ◽  
Critical Discourse ◽  
Criminal Trials ◽  
Legal Principles ◽  
High Profile ◽  
To Receive

This article explores the often fraught intersections between social media, fair trial principles and community engagement with high-profile crimes. Specifically, a detailed analysis is undertaken of the Facebook response to the arrest of Adrian Ernest Bayley for the murder of Ms Gillian (Jill) Meagher in Victoria, Australia in 2012. As one of the first Australian crimes to receive a significant social media response, this research provides empirical insights into the dynamic and evolving relationship between social media, the community and criminal trials. By drawing on a critical discourse analysis of over 3,000 comments on the R.I.P Jill Meagher Facebook page, this article identifies and critiques a ‘Discourse of Challenge’ in which digital communication enabled the reinterpretation of legal principles. Further, this article provides empirical insights into the meaning-making processes of Facebook discourses and focuses on how fair trial principles are contested on Facebook in novel and, at times, contradictory, ways.  

Iran’s ‘resistance economy’ faces new tests in 2021

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Presidential Election ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Election Campaign ◽  
Domestic Production ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Interests ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Conservative Government ◽  
Supreme Leader ◽  
Presidential Election Campaign

Significance At the same time, the June 18 presidential election campaign is beginning, with top judge Ibrahim Raisi registering as a favoured candidate. Heading a high-profile anti-corruption campaign, Raisi has been a strong advocate of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s ‘resistance economy’ policy to undermine sanctions by supporting domestic production. Impacts Effective legislation to manage conflicts of interest, including of officials’ family members, will likely remain blocked. Local business interests that would benefit from more global links may have a strong voice even under a conservative government. The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps will keep a firm grip on the infrastructure sector.

scholarly journals An Exploratory Study on Police Oversight in British Columbia: The Dynamics of Accountability for Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Municipal Police

SAGE Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 215824401989908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krista Stelkia
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Special Interest Groups ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
Police Misconduct ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Royal Canadian Mounted Police ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Police Investigations ◽  
Municipal Police

Independent oversight of Canadian police has increased over the past decade in response to a number of high-profile cases of police misconduct and public dissatisfaction with internal police investigations. To date, however, the dynamics of the oversight process have not been subjected to critical analysis. This study examines the benefits and challenges of the oversight systems for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and municipal police in British Columbia, Canada, as well as the role of oversight in increasing police accountability, improving public confidence, and modifying police behavior. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with persons ( n = 13) from oversight agencies, police unions, special interest groups, and professional standards units, the study found that despite having one of the most progressive oversight models in Canada, the system faces major challenges. These include slow processing of complaints, the administrative burden of minor complaints, the difficulty in determining return on investment, and the two-tier complaint model.

Twitter, Incivility and “Everyday” Gendered Othering: An Analysis of Tweets Sent to UK Members of Parliament

2019 ◽  
pp. 089443931986551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rosalynd Southern ◽  
Emily Harmer
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
High Profile ◽  
Members Of Parliament ◽  
To Receive

Recently, widely reported studies assessed messages sent to UK female MPs online and concluded that they suffer high levels of abuse. However, these studies tended to focus on the most high-profile MPs and the worst instances of abuse or did not include male MPs in their study for comparison. This study aims to assess more subtle forms of incivility and othering and the experiences of less prominent MPs online. It takes a mixed-methods approach to analyzing 117,802 tweets sent to MPs over a 14-day period for evidence of incivility. Firstly, models assessing the factors associated with receiving incivility on Twitter are presented, and furthermore, an in-depth thematic analysis of gendered tweets is conducted. The findings suggest that for the receipt of certain types of incivility, there is little difference between female and male MPs. However, female MPs were more likely to receive generally uncivil tweets, tweets with stereotypes about their identity, and tweets questioning their position as politicians than male MPs. Qualitatively, in terms of gendered othering, we found several instances of tweets containing misogynistic abuse, tweets demonizing, and objectifying female MPs, as well as tweets feminizing male MPs.

Evaluation of race as a prognostic factor in multiple myeloma. An ancillary of Southwest Oncology Group Study 8229.

1996 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 974-977 ◽  
Author(s):  
M R Modiano ◽  
P Villar-Werstler ◽  
J Crowley ◽  
S E Salmon
Keyword(s):  
Multiple Myeloma ◽  
Prognostic Factor ◽  
Community Treatment ◽  
Oncology Group ◽  
Southwest Oncology Group ◽  
Treatment Regimens ◽  
Southwest Oncology Group Study ◽  
Blacks And Whites ◽  
The Impact ◽  
To Receive

PURPOSE The objective of this investigation was to assess the impact of race (black v white) on the survival of patients with multiple myeloma treated within the context of a large clinical trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS A cohort of patients randomized to receive one of two treatment regimens and monitored for at least 10 years was studied to assess the impact of race as a prognostic factor, after adjusting for other known factors such as stage of disease. Patients were recruited from the referral network of the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG), a national multiinstitutional consortium that includes both academic and community treatment centers. Patients had a diagnosis of multiple myeloma and had not previously been treated for this disease. They were carefully characterized as to demographic and clinical features, and were randomized to receive one of two treatment regimens, which proved to have virtually identical outcomes. The outcome measure was survival, measured from the date of randomization to the date of last contact. Patients still alive at last contact date were treated as censored observation. RESULTS Survival for black myeloma patients was similar to that for white patients, both overall and adjusted for prognostic factors such as stage. CONCLUSION Observed differences in mortality between blacks and whites cannot be attributed to differences in survival after diagnosis, given comparable treatment.

Nigerian government will look to prevent more protests

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Civil Society ◽  
Presidential Election ◽  
Party System ◽  
Police Force ◽  
Public Confidence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Legal Challenge ◽  
Nigerian Government ◽  
Youth Voting

Significance However, except in a few states, these panels have been slow to start restitution processes. Their existence was recently threatened by a legal challenge -- now withdrawn -- by the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), reflecting the authorities’ latest attempts to halt renewed mobilisation of the ‘#EndSARS’ movement. Impacts #EndSARS-affiliated civil society groups could prove an influential youth voting bloc in the 2023 presidential election. A new youth-based party may emerge before the 2023 polls but would struggle to dismantle the dominant two-party system. The decision by most state panels of inquiry to stop accepting new petitions will undermine public confidence in their work and findings.

scholarly journals Information system on microbial collections as a part of bioresource collections portal for Russia’s FASO organizations: a working protocol

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-284
Author(s):  
F. V. Kazantsev ◽  
A. A. Smirnova ◽  
A. S. Rozanov ◽  
Yu. E. Uvarova ◽  
D. A. Afonnikov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Internet Portal ◽  
Scientific Organizations ◽  
Electronic Catalog ◽  
Other Information ◽  
The Russian Federation ◽  
Rest Api ◽  
State Of Affairs ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Storage Units

Nowadays, many scientific organizations of Russia own collections of microorganisms on which large volumes of information have been generated. These data represent the descriptions of objects of diverse nature (bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists) and their properties, which have been carefully collected and cataloged by generations of researchers. Not every organization that has such collections has an open access electronic catalog, which not only complicates work with these unique materials, but also even hides the fact of the existence of such collections. This state of affairs requires the development of electronic resources for presenting these materials to the scientific community. To put together the information on microorganism collections, we have developed an internet portal (http://www.biores.cytogen.ru/microbes/) of microbial bioresource collections of FASO organizations in the Russian Federation. The portal was created under the project developing the information system for bioresource collections of FASO institutes. It is a platform where collection organizations can place information about the storage units of their collections, as well as other information on collections, including links to their own catalogs. In this paper, we describe the principles of working with the portal. The portal’s graphical interface allows users, both registered and unregistered, to receive the following information about collections of microorganisms: a list of collections represented in the database, contact details of the organization and information about the curator of the collection, summary statistics for each collection, as well as information on storage units. Registered users – owners of collections – have the opportunity to create and modify records about the storage units of their collections, and to update their description. To automate work with the portal, software access to the database through the REST API has been implemented (http://api.biores.cytogen.ru/ microbes/). At present, the portal is still being filled, but it already contains a description of more than 13,000 items of storage (of which 3500 are in the microorganisms’ part) of 65 bioresource collections in Russia’s FASO organizations. Of these collections, 12 with microorganisms have a total diversity of funds of about 50,000 strains).

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