TY - JOUR

T1 - Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries

AU - Author Collaboration of " Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries"

AU - Cologna, Viktoria

AU - Mede, Niels G.

AU - Berger, Sebastian

AU - Besley, John

AU - Brick, Cameron

AU - Joubert, Marina

AU - Maibach, Edward W.

AU - Mihelj, Sabina

AU - Oreskes, Naomi

AU - Schäfer, Mike S.

AU - van der Linden, Sander

AU - Abdul Aziz, Nor Izzatina

AU - Abdulsalam, Suleiman

AU - Shamsi, Nurulaini Abu

AU - Aczel, Balazs

AU - Adinugroho, Indro

AU - Alabrese, Eleonora

AU - Aldoh, Alaa

AU - Alfano, Mark

AU - Ali, Innocent Mbulli

AU - Alsobay, Mohammed

AU - Altenmüller, Marlene

AU - Alvarez, R. Michael

AU - Amoako, Richard

AU - Amollo, Tabitha

AU - Ansah, Patrick

AU - Apriliawati, Denisa

AU - Azevedo, Flavio

AU - Bajrami, Ani

AU - Bardhan, Ronita

AU - Bati, Keagile

AU - Bertsou, Eri

AU - Betsch, Cornelia

AU - Bhatiya, Apurav Yash

AU - Bhui, Rahul

AU - Białobrzeska, Olga

AU - Bilewicz, Michał

AU - Bouguettaya, Ayoub

AU - Breeden, Katherine

AU - Bret, Amélie

AU - Buchel, Ondrej

AU - Cabrera-Álvarez, Pablo

AU - Cagnoli, Federica

AU - Calero Valdez, André

AU - Callaghan, Timothy

AU - Cases, Rizza Kaye

AU - Çoksan, Sami

AU - Czarnek, Gabriela

AU - Genschow, Oliver

AU - Westfal, Mareike

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.

PY - 2025

Y1 - 2025

N2 - Science is crucial for evidence-based decision-making. Public trust in scientists can help decision makers act on the basis of the best available evidence, especially during crises. However, in recent years the epistemic authority of science has been challenged, causing concerns about low public trust in scientists. We interrogated these concerns with a preregistered 68-country survey of 71,922 respondents and found that in most countries, most people trust scientists and agree that scientists should engage more in society and policymaking. We found variations between and within countries, which we explain with individual- and country-level variables, including political orientation. While there is no widespread lack of trust in scientists, we cannot discount the concern that lack of trust in scientists by even a small minority may affect considerations of scientific evidence in policymaking. These findings have implications for scientists and policymakers seeking to maintain and increase trust in scientists.

AB - Science is crucial for evidence-based decision-making. Public trust in scientists can help decision makers act on the basis of the best available evidence, especially during crises. However, in recent years the epistemic authority of science has been challenged, causing concerns about low public trust in scientists. We interrogated these concerns with a preregistered 68-country survey of 71,922 respondents and found that in most countries, most people trust scientists and agree that scientists should engage more in society and policymaking. We found variations between and within countries, which we explain with individual- and country-level variables, including political orientation. While there is no widespread lack of trust in scientists, we cannot discount the concern that lack of trust in scientists by even a small minority may affect considerations of scientific evidence in policymaking. These findings have implications for scientists and policymakers seeking to maintain and increase trust in scientists.

KW - Management studies

KW - Psychology

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85215413416&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/s41562-024-02090-5

DO - 10.1038/s41562-024-02090-5

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 39833424

AN - SCOPUS:85215413416

JO - Nature Human Behaviour

JF - Nature Human Behaviour

SN - 2397-3374

M1 - e2108576118

ER -