The Relationship Between Knowledge and Attitudes in The Public Understanding of Science in Britain  

Oleh:

Evans, Geoffrey ; Durant, John

Jenis: Article from Journal - ilmiah internasional
Dalam koleksi: Public Understanding of Science vol. 4 no. 1 (Jan. 1995), page 57-74.
Fulltext: 57PUS41.pdf (835.27KB)

Isi artikel

The belief lhdl greater understanding lads to more positive attitudes informs many practical initiatives in the public understanding of science. However, there has been comparatively little empirical study of the justification for this belief. Thih paper explores the relationship between understanding of science and levels of support for science using a national sample of over 2000 British respondents. The analysis indicates that the internal consistency of attitudes towards science is poor. and that the links between attitudes towards science in general and attitudes towards specific areas of scienlific r e a r c h are weak. Undersunding of science IS weakly related to more positive attitudes in general: but. more sgnificantly. i t is also associated with more coherent and more discriminating attitudes. Of particular importance is the finding that while knowledgeable members of the public are more favourably disposed towards science in general. they are less supportive of morally contentious areas of research tho" are those who are less knowledgeable. Although an informed public opinion is likely to provide a slightly more supportive popular basis for Some UedS of scientific research. it could Serve to Constrain research ill Controversial are35 such as human embryology.

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