The Psychology of Science Rejection

Abstract

On the back of concerns that society is entering a post-truth, “anti-enlightenment” phase, the last decade has seen an explosion of research on the psychology of science rejection. Traditional understandings of this phenomenon have relied on so-called deficit models: that rejection of science is underpinned by lack of exposure to information or an inability to process scientific information. In this chapter we discuss two recent approaches that supplement this understanding: (1) the Attitude Roots model, which focuses on the role of ideologies, worldviews, identities and fears in shaping science beliefs, and (2) the Psychological Distance to Science model, which views science rejection as a downstream consequence of people perceiving science as detached from the self in the here and now. By building bridges across these approaches, we hope to pave the way for future research efforts aimed at uncovering a more complete understanding of the causes of science rejection across domains. This understanding is important for further theory development, and is a key ingredient for crafting strategies and interventions to defuse the myriad problems associated with science rejection.