Confidence in the scientific community declined among U.S. adults in 2022, a major survey shows, driven by a partisan divide in views of both science and medicine that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Overall, 39% of U.S. adults said they had 害羞草研究所渁 great deal of confidence害羞草研究所� in the scientific community, down from 48% in 2018 and 2021. That害羞草研究所檚 according to the General Social Survey, a long-running poll conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago that has monitored Americans害羞草研究所� opinions on key topics since 1972.
An additional 48% of adults in the latest survey reported 害羞草研究所渙nly some害羞草研究所� confidence, while 13% reported 害羞草研究所渉ardly any,害羞草研究所� according to an analysis of the survey by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.
The survey showed low confidence levels among Republicans as have stuck around, said Jennifer Benz, the center害羞草研究所檚 deputy director.
害羞草研究所淚t doesn害羞草研究所檛 look all that dramatic when you just look at the trends for the overall public,害羞草研究所� Benz said. 害羞草研究所淏ut when you dig into that by people害羞草研究所檚 political affiliations, there害羞草研究所檚 a really stark downturn and polarization.害羞草研究所�
Between surveys in 2018 and 2021, as the pandemic took hold, the major parties害羞草研究所� trust levels headed in opposite directions. Democrats reported a growing level of confidence in science in 2021 害羞草研究所� perhaps as a 害羞草研究所渞allying effect害羞草研究所� around things like COVID-19 vaccines and prevention measures, Benz said. At the same time, Republicans saw their confidence start to plummet.
In the 2022 survey, Democrats害羞草研究所� confidence fell back to around pre-pandemic levels, with 53% reporting a great deal of confidence compared with 55% in 2018. But Republicans害羞草研究所� confidence continued its downward trend, dropping to 22% from 45% in 2018. Confidence in medicine has also grown more polarized since 2018. That year, Democrats and Republicans were about equally likely to say they had high confidence. By 2022, though, Republicans害羞草研究所� confidence had fallen to 26%, while Democrats害羞草研究所� has remained about the same as it was before the pandemic, at 42%.
Overall, 34% of Americans reported a great deal of confidence in medicine in 2022, compared with 39% before the pandemic.
Generally, scientists have had a high level of trust compared to other groups in the U.S., said John Besley, who studies public opinion about science at Michigan State University. And even with the latest declines, confidence in science is still higher than many other institutions, he pointed out.
But the split between political parties is a cause for concern, experts said.
害羞草研究所淵ou can definitely see the impact here of people taking cues from their political leaders,害羞草研究所� Benz said.
For Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the drops were 害羞草研究所渄isappointing but not surprising.害羞草研究所� He sees them as part of an 害羞草研究所渙verall pulling apart of our communities害羞草研究所� and a loss of trust in many institutions.
The latest survey found that distrust has grown for some other groups, too. According to the 2022 survey, confidence in the Supreme Court has . Americans also reported lower levels of trust in education, the press, major companies and organized religion.
Besley said that scientists should communicate about their motives to help show that they are trustworthy: 害羞草研究所淣ot only do we have some expertise, but that also we害羞草研究所檙e using that expertise to try to make the world better,害羞草研究所� he said.
Parikh thought the stakes are high for rebuilding trust in science 害羞草研究所� and doing so across political lines.
害羞草研究所淪cience must be bipartisan,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭he causes of Alzheimer害羞草研究所檚 are the same whether you害羞草研究所檙e a Republican or a Democrat. The fusion that goes on in the sun is the same whether you live in Topeka or you live in San Francisco.害羞草研究所�
The General Social Survey has been conducted since 1972 by NORC at the University of Chicago. Sample sizes for each year害羞草研究所檚 survey vary from about 1,500 to about 4,000 adults, with margins of error falling between plus or minus 2 percentage points and plus or minus 3.1 percentage points. The most recent survey was conducted May 5, 2022, through Dec. 20, 2022, and includes interviews with 3,544 American adults. Results for the full sample have a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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