Individuals with greater science literacy and education have more polarized beliefs on controversial science topics

Abstract

Although Americans generally hold science in high regard and respect its findings, for some contested issues, such as the existence of anthropogenic climate change, public opinion is polarized along religious and political lines. We ask whether individuals with more general education and greater science knowledge, measured in terms of science education and science literacy, display more (or less) polarized beliefs on several such issues. We report secondary analyses of a nationally representative dataset (the General Social Survey), examining the predictors of beliefs regarding six potentially controversial issues. We find that beliefs are correlated with both political and religious identity for stem cell research, the Big Bang, and human evolution, and with political identity alone on climate change. Individuals with greater education, science education, and science literacy display more polarized beliefs on these issues. We find little evidence of political or religious polarization regarding nanotechnology and genetically modified foods. On all six topics, people who trust the scientific enterprise more are also more likely to accept its findings. We discuss the causal mechanisms that might underlie the correlation between education and identity-based polarization.

Review of "Against Democracy"

“…Kahan et al (2012) show that polarization about climate change is greatest among individuals with the highest degrees of scientific literary and technical reasoning capacity. Drummond and Fischhoff (2017) find that "individuals with greater education, science education, and science literacy display more polarized beliefs" on issues correlated with political and religious identity. These issues include stem cell research, the Big Bang, human evolution, and climate change (Drummond and Fischoff 2017, 9587).…”

How should we ask questions about the social status of climate change knowledge?

“…Studies show that most individuals favor either scientific or religious ways of understanding (O'Brien & Noy, ) and that there is a possible negative correlation between levels of religiosity and performance in science and mathematics at the country level (Stoet & Geary, ). Though the relation between identity‐based polarization and education or scientific literacy can be very complex (Drummond & Fischoff, ), these studies point to the possibility that different forms of knowing can become mutually exclusive. This can become status threatening for climate change knowledge and is often discussed as undermining the case for climate change action.…”

Storytelling, Science, and Religion: Promoting Reflection and Conversation about Societal Issues

“…National studies have found that religiosity corresponds to lower levels of scientific knowledge and negative attitudes toward science (McPhetres and Zuckerman ; Sherkat ; but see also Bhattacharjee ; Elsdon‐Baker ; and Roos ). Furthermore, Americans’ beliefs related to many science topics and socioscientific issues are polarized along religious and political lines (Drummond and Fischhoff ). At the same time, there is a trend for increasing association of particular religious or secular views with one or the other major political party, such as white evangelical Christians with the Republican party and seculars with the Democratic party (Wald and Calhoun‐Brown ).…”