Plausibility of scientific findings: institutional factors in lay evaluations

Journal of Science Communication. 2022. Vol. 21. No. 5. Article A01.

Шеремет Е. П., Девятко И. Ф.

One of the recent “crises” experienced by science is associated with a decline in its public support. We conducted two factorial surveys among university students aiming at broadening our understanding of the information cues influencing the wider publics’ judgments of science. We found that sociological and criminological research results are perceived as less plausible compared to neuroscientific and physiological research, but as more plausible than results from genetics. In contrast with the previous data on the importance of funding and institutional prestige cues as the indirect indicators of the research quality among academic experts, we discovered the absence of any effects of funding or institutional prestige for the selected type of general audience.

Ключевые слова: научные коммуникации, Public perception of science and technology, Science and media, Science communication in the developing world, Общественное восприятие науки и технологий, Наука и медиа