Dr Ramit Debnath contributes to new global study which shows that the majority of people trust scientists, but that trust is higher in some countries than in others
Most people have a relatively high level of trust in scientists, according to a new international study.
The study conducted across 68 countries also found a majority of survey participants (52%) believe that scientists should be more involved in society and policymaking. Only a minority (23%) believe that scientists should not actively advocate for specific policies.
Published in Nature Human Behaviours [Open access], the research was conducted by TISP, a Harvard University-based consortium of 241 researchers from 169 institutions worldwide led by Dr Viktoria Cologna (Harvard University, RTH Zurich) and Dr Niels G Mede (University of Zurich), which includes Gates Cambridge Scholar Dr Ramit Debnath [2018]. Ramit, who is University Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Social Design at the University of Cambridge, collected the data for the UK, India and Ethiopia.
The study, which includes 71,922 respondents – 2,008 of them from the UK – provides the largest global dataset on trust in scientists since the COVID-19 pandemic.
It found that Egyptians were the most likely to trust scientists, followed by respondents from India, Nigeria, Kenya and Australia. The UK ranked 15th, three places behind the US, but ahead of Canada (17th) and Sweden (20th). Those countries less likely to trust scientists included Albania ranked 68th, followed by Kazakhstan (67th), Bolivia (66th), Russia (65th) and Ethiopia (64th).
The researchers say the study is the most comprehensive post-pandemic snapshot of trust in scientists, societal expectations of their involvement in society and policymaking, and public views on research priorities.
The findings also highlight some areas of concern, however. Globally, less than half of respondents (42%) believe that scientists pay attention to others’ views. The findings also show that many people, in many countries, feel that the priorities of science do not always align well with their own priorities.
Participants assigned high priority to research dedicated to improving public health, solving energy problems and reducing poverty. Research on developing defence and military technology was assigned a lower priority. In fact, participants explicitly believe that science prioritises developing defence and military technology more than they desire.
The consortium of academics recommends that scientists take these results seriously and find ways to be more receptive to feedback and open to dialogue with the public, consider ways in Western countries to reach conservative groups, and, in the fullness of time, consider their role in setting priorities that are aligned with public values.
*Picture credit: Wikimedia commons and the National Cancer Institute, an agency of the National Institutes of Health
