Conservative Americans distrust scientists in various fields, even those focused on economic growth and productivity, are in line with groundbreaking new research that reveals more general scientific skepticism than previously recognized.
The comprehensive study published in Natural Human Behavior, which surveyed nearly 8,000 Americans’ perceptions of 35 different science majors, found that liberals consistently showed trust in scientists, more than conservatives in every field examined.
“In the United States, and in other countries, conservatives often have low trust in science,” said Bastiaan Rutjens, a researcher at the University of Amsterdam research. “Since the 1980s, the trust in science in the United States has even declined.”
Although past studies document conservative skepticism in science that conflicts with political or religious beliefs, such as climate change or evolution, this new study shows that the trust gap is far beyond ideologically fraught topics.
The researchers found that while the trust gap is the largest for climate scientists, medical researchers and social scientists, conservatives also have less trust in technology fields such as industrial chemistry that focuses on economic productivity.
“These fields are more focused on economic growth and productivity,” Rutjens explained. “But it’s still surprising that conservatives show lower trust even here. Their distrust is all over the science.”
The research team led by PhD student Vukašin Gligorić also tested whether conservative scientific skepticism could be reduced through targeted news. They designed five different interventions that highlight how scientific results align with conservative values or demonstrating conservative scientists.
In the discoveries about scientific communicators, no messaging strategy can significantly improve the trust of conservatives in scientists.
“This shows that their distrust is deeply rooted and not easily changed,” Rutjens said.
This persistence of distrust poses a major challenge in solving major social problems such as pandemics and climate change that require scientific solutions. When people don’t trust scientists, they are unlikely to accept scientific advice or support policies based on scientific evidence.
Part of the problem may be the perception of science as partisan business. “As some circles of ‘left-loving’, science is increasingly dismissed, and universities are strongholds of left-wing institutions,” Rutjens noted.
Although the study focuses on the American context, researchers warn that similar patterns of scientific skepticism are emerging elsewhere. “Even in the Netherlands, we see unprecedented discussions around science, sometimes accompanied by serious distrust,” Rutjens noted.
The results of the study show that fast communication repair is unlikely to bridge the trust gap. Instead, researchers suggest more intensive efforts are needed to rebuild trust in scientific institutions.
“This doesn’t mean it’s impossible, but these short interventions don’t make science more transparent and reliable to certain groups,” Rutjens explained. “We need stronger interventions to make science truly personal. What can science contribute to your life here and now?”
As polarization continues to grow around scientific issues in many countries, this study highlights the urgent need for new approaches to scientific communication that can effectively span the political arena.
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