HSE Scientists Reveal What Drives Public Trust in Science
Researchers at HSE ISSEK have analysed the level of trust in scientific knowledge in Russian society and the factors shaping attitudes and perceptions. It was found that trust in science depends more on everyday experience, social expectations, and the perceived promises of science than on objective knowledge. The article has been published in Universe of Russia.
The advancement of science and technology is a key driver of socio-economic progress. Trust in science is essential for the dissemination of knowledge, the acceptance of scientific findings, and support for research. International surveys, including the Wellcome Global Monitor and studies by the Pew Research Center, indicate that trust in science remains relatively high worldwide. However, in times of rapid social and political change—for instance, during a pandemic—new challenges emerge, and levels of trust in science may decline.
Researchers at the HSE Institute for Statistical Studies and Economics of Knowledge (ISSEK) Ivan Iudin and Valentina Polyakova analysed data from the Monitoring Survey of Innovative Behaviour of the Population, conducted between late 2020 and early 2021, to examine whether overall trust in science differs from trust in specific fields and to identify the factors influencing both.
The survey included more than 6,000 respondents aged 18 to 65, who were asked about their level of trust in scientific institutions in general and in the results obtained within six specific fields of science. According to the survey, 53% of respondents trust universities and 43% trust scientific organisations. Scientific results in medicine inspired the greatest confidence (41%), while the social sciences and humanities ranked lowest, with only 19% of respondents expressing unconditional trust.
In order to clarify the drivers behind these results, the researchers examined four factors underlying trust: perceived motivations of scientists, scientific literacy, perceived promises and reservations about science, and cultural engagement with science.
Perceptions of scientists’ motivations were assessed by asking respondents to rate their agreement with the following statements: 'Scientists help solve challenging problems,' 'Most scientists seek to improve the lives of ordinary people,' and 'Scientists are passionate individuals who work for the benefit of humanity.' Scientific literacy was assessed through a test measuring knowledge of basic school-level scientific facts, understanding of individual phenomena, and familiarity with scientific achievements and procedures. Respondents were asked to identify whether specific statements were true or false, such as: 'The Earth revolves around the Sun,' 'An electron is smaller than an atom,' and 'A laser works by focusing sound waves.'
Perceptions of the promises of science and technology, as well as reservations about them, were assessed based on respondents’ agreement or disagreement with statements such as: 'The development of science and technology brings more benefits than harm,' 'Science and technology make our lives easier and more comfortable,' 'People today place too much importance on scientific and technological achievements, neglecting the spiritual side of life,' and 'Advances in science and technology can have unexpected, dangerous consequences for human health and the environment.'
Cultural engagement with science was measured using the Scientific Information Consumption Index, which reflects how frequently individuals attend cultural and educational events and consume popular scientific content through reading, viewing, or listening.
The findings suggest that people’s trust in science is driven more by social perceptions and attitudes than by their scientific knowledge or engagement with science. Acceptance of positive stereotypes about scientists increases the likelihood of trusting scientific institutions by 5.4 times. When considering specific fields, this effect is strongest for medical and agricultural sciences, where the likelihood of trusting the results increases 8–12 fold. Adopting a scientific worldview increases the likelihood of trusting scientific institutions by 1.7 times but decreases trust in the social and human sciences by a factor of 0.6–0.7. Believing in the promise of science significantly increases trust in both institutions and scientific results, especially in the natural, exact, and engineering sciences, where trust rises by 20 to 26 times. While perceiving risks in science and technology reduces trust in institutions, it actually doubles trust in results for the natural, exact, engineering, and agricultural sciences. Similarly, regular consumption of scientific information slightly lowers trust in institutions (by 0.76 times) but boosts trust in results in the natural and exact sciences (by 1.4 times).
Valentina Polyakova
'Our study demonstrates that, overall, Russians tend to trust scientists and scientific institutions. This trust is grounded in the belief that scientists have good intentions and that scientific advancements lead to improvements in quality of life,' notes Valentina Polyakova.
Ivan Iudin
Ivan Iudin highlights several interesting patterns revealed by the study: 'With age, the likelihood of trusting scientific results decreases across all fields except agricultural sciences, while trust in scientific institutions remains unchanged. Women are generally more likely than men to trust scientific institutions, as well as results in the humanities. Urban residents exhibit higher confidence in institutions and in the results of the natural and exact sciences, engineering, and medical sciences. Conversely, rural residents show greater trust in the results of the social sciences and humanities.'
According to the authors, understanding these patterns can help guide science policy. In the event of a crisis of trust in science, science communication should emphasise the tangible benefits of scientific progress and their relevance to everyday life.
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