EB Potential: Public Understanding of Science and ... · 2010 EB73.1-340 europeans, S & T EB74.3-361 EU and energy EB73.1-341 sensitive technolsF-261 on water EB74.1-356 Roaming internet

EB Potential: Public Understanding of Science

and Technology [PUS]

Martin W BAUER Social Psychology & Methodology

Editor-in-Chief Public Understanding of Science

[email protected]

10 July 2015 GESIS EB 1989-2013 BAUER 1

mailto:[email protected]

Eurobarometer data on ‘science and Society’ what there is, what it might be useful for, what else could one be doing with it? A ‘model’ of how EB might be working Considering my own experience of being involved with EB in many rounds over the years



A: Scientific Culture Scienti-fic = scientia facere Organisational formats and practices; funding levels and distribution; priorities REF national and international performance benchmarking, OECD

B: Science Culture [indicators of context] B perceived by science (worries and stereotypes, surveys of scientists) B observed by 3rd eye (initially a UNESCO idea; see Godin, 2005)

• what do people think about science (representations. Image, imagination) • How do people relate to institutions and actors (deference, respect, trust) • how close are people to science (psych distance, familiarity, interest) • who supports science and why (attitudes, welfare expectations) • do people take part in science events (engagement )

• compared relative to other sectors of Culture (Arts, Sports, Entertainment) • ‘Cultural authority of science’: people take the word for it, no questions asked


Science culture Science in culture

Science, scientific culture

Eurobarometer

Axiom: science is now global; science culture remains local

Attitudes

Attention

Opportunities Practices

survey

Media monitoring

Documents Case Studies

PUS

Media

PES

CASIS

Dispositions Data Streams Indicators Sub-Set

GESIS EB 1989-2013 BAUER 5 10 July 2015

Project MACAS ‘mapping the cultural authority of science’ (Europe-India)


Historical Time Line 1970s: re-ordering of science policy (era of science literacy) Responsibility of Science STS restart as SSK (Edinburgh School) environmental movement gets a grip on imagination 1985: Royal Society Public Understanding of Science (era of PUS) UK-ESRC programme 1986-1993 (??): Ziman, Durant, Wynne, Irwin etc COPUS Royal Society, various initiatives 1986: Chernobyl 1990s: BSE crisis, GM food debate 1997: ‘Dolly the sheep’ leading into stem cell debate 2000: House of Lords Report ‘Crisis of Confidence’ (era of PEST) multiple initiatives …… you name it ‘activism’ mobilisation of funding councils into ‘PEST’ REF impact assessment (REF 2014)

10 July 2015 GESIS EB 1989-2013 BAUER

Science in the Mass Media 1820-2010 [source: Bauer, 2012]

Darwin BohrEinstein ‘White heat’ ?????

7

Scientists

Journalists Science writers Media based

Public Relations Public Affairs Marketing

The changing structure of science communication in society

1900 1950 2000 10 July 2015 GESIS EB 1989-2013 BAUER

100%

0%

8

1

6

?


General Attitudes to Science

[Eurobarometer is the most consistent and comparative database

in the world]


Global surveys of ‘general attitudes to science and technology’ (Bauer & Falade, 2014)




Knowledge of science




Britain 1989-2013 France 1989-2013 Knowledge is increasing; converging in Mid-EU Interest remains level Engagement is declining Attitudes remains level

Knowledge is increasing, even more; in mid-EU Interest is declining Engagement is declining Attitudes are shifting • More secular

impatience • Less expectations of

welfare effects


Generational Cohorts






Culture = Attitude (states and traits = dispositions) = a triadic relation towards ‘object’ [science]

co

judgement passion emotion

cognition, image, belief

Knowledge, competence, enculturation

Attitude position Favourable-unfavourable Aspirations, expectations

approach-avoidance, Interest, engagement, attention

Competence

Attention Aspiration

industrial Post-industrial

The frame of mind that relates to science What is the relation between competence, attention & aspiration in different ‘internal’ and ‘external’ contexts? (see Allum et al, 2007)

?

?

23 GESIS EB 1989-2013 BAUER 10 July 2015


Global comparisons

Scientific ideology (sci_ideal_rec)

Scientific ideology: deference to science

mythological views of science

12a3 Science and technology can sort out any problem 13a6 New inventions will always be found to counteract any harmful consequences of scientific and technological development 15a5 One day science will be able to give a complete picture of how nature and the universe work. 15a6 there should be no limits to what science is allowed to investigate Alpha 2005 Alpha 2010

.58

.61

10 July 2015 25 GESIS EB 1989-2013 BAUER

Source: Eurobarometer 10 July 2015 GESIS EB 1989-2013 BAUER 26

GESIS EB 1989-2013 BAUER

‘Myth of Science’ x knowledge by mean knowledge (2005)

F

10 July 2015 27

UK [-0.28/8.9] F

Slovenia DK


Structural Analysis

e.g. Britain

Comparing cultures as bundle of variables


The long-term comparable indicators (UK)


UK

engagement

enculturation


MALTA

enculturation

engagement


UK


UK


Logistic regression [as frequently used to predict binary outcomes from risk factors] Dependent variable [binary outcome p ]:

1 = High enculturation/ engagement >75% cut off point 0 = Less enculturation / engagement <75% cut off point

odds: Log ( p / 1-p) = a + bX1 + cX2 + cX Predictors as odds changes Compared to X1, X2 has an % higher (lower) chance of being high enculturated Let us consider cohort, education, age, urban-rural and sex (ceteris paribus) used in medicine to model comparative mortality-morbidity risks (yes / no)


High Enculturation UK [ceteris paribus]


Other EB data to explore


All science-related EB surveys since 1977 1977 EB8-9 Science & PO 1 19771978 EB11-11 EU attitude to S&T 1 19781979 19791980 19801981 19811982 EB17-17 energy problem EB20-20 environment 2 19821983 19831984 EB23-25 energy problem 1 19841985 19851986 EB32-32 EU energy problem EB-30 environment 2 19861987 EB32-36 energy problem 1 19871988 EB-39 environment EB-40 prevention of cancer 4 1988

EB-42 EU and prevention of cancer1989 EB31-43 Europeans, S & T EB32-46 energy problem 2 19891990 F-80 medicine and IT society 1 19901991 EB35-57 energy problem EB35.1-61 Biotechnology 2 19911992 EB38.1-76 Europeans, S & T EB37-66 environment EB38-72 passive smoking 3 19921993 EB39.1-79 energy matters EB39.1-80 biotechnology 2 19931994 EB41-83 Europeans and blood 1 19941995 EB43.1-88 environment 19951996 EB46-104 energy matters EB46.1-108 biotechnology EB46.1-109 data privacy EB46-106 Europeans and the sun 4 19961997 EB47.1-111 information society EB47-115 women and breast cancer 2 19971998 EB50-122 Radioactive waste EB51.1 Information society EB50-121 health and health care 4 1998

EB49-119 Europeans and cancer1999 EB52.1-134 Biotechnology EB51.1-131 environment 2 19992000 EB53-140 labelling gm food EB53-141 information society 3 2000

EB54-144 Information technology2001 EB55.2-154 europeans, S & T EB56.0-159 IT at work 3 2001

F-103/112 internet and public2002 EB58.0-177 biotechnology EB60-180 environment F-125 internet and public EB58.0-179 health information 5 2002

EB60-183 smoking, AIDS, anti-biotics, blood donation, organ transplan2003 EB60.2-203 internet content EB60-186 health, food alcohol 2 20032004 EB62.2-217 environment 1 20042005 EB63.1-224 Europeans, S&T EB63.1-225 Values, S & T EB64.2-247 energy EB64.3-244b Biotechnology EB64.3-239-341/346 tabacco, AIDS, errors, foo 8 2005

EB64.1-238 risk issues Q-2005 food labelling EB64.4-248 mental well-being2006 EB65.2-258 energy issues EB68.2-295 Environment EB66.2-272a electromagnetic fields EB65.2-257 avian flu 11 2006

EB65.3-262 energy technology EB66.3-274 internet in household EB66.3-265 Health research

EB66.2-271 nuclear safety EB64.4-249+250 internet comm EB66.1-270 animal welfareEB68.2-293 internet in household

2007 EB69.1-297 Radioactive waste EB67.2-282 science in the media EB69.2-300 climate change Q-2007 internet safe for children 6 2007EB67.1-278 cultural values F-219 Biodiversity

2008 F-239 young people and science EB72.2-324 nuclear safety F-238 animal cloning EB72.1-322 climate change EB72.5-335 internet in household EB72.3-330-333 oral health, alcohol, tabacco, 12 2008Q-2008 image of science F-241 information society F-253 tabaccoEB71.1-314 chemicals in products F-248 children internet use

F-250 confidence IT society2009 F-256 sustainable consuming EB72.5-338 anti-microbial resistance 2 20092010 EB73.1-340 europeans, S & T EB74.3-361 EU and energy EB73.1-341 sensitive technolsF-261 on water EB74.1-356 Roaming internet EB73.2-345 mental health 11 2010

EB73.5-354 food risks F-290 biodiversity EB73.3-347 electromagnetic fields F-287 Influenza H1N1EB74.3-361 rare diseeases

Total 99 TotalDifferent types of EB surveys:


First one: ‘Science and Public Opinion’ EB 8.9 of 1977

EU12

EU32

EU15


The 20-years ‘Biotech Series’ 1991-2010

1991 EB35.1-61 Biotechnology1993 EB39.1-80 biotechnology1996 EB46.1-108 biotechnology1999 EB52.1-134 Biotechnology2000 EB53-140 labelling gm food2002 EB58.0-177 biotechnology2005 EB64.3-244b Biotechnology

Q-2005 food labelling2008 F-238 animal cloning2010 EB73.1-341 sensitive technols

EB73.5-354 food risks


Issues for EB and EB archiving

- EB has great potential, a potential treasure to be lifted

- The Practice of EB construction can improve - The ‘difficult triangle’ of EC sponsor, EB consortium and

academic experts - Is there a standard model ? - good and bad ‘experiences’ with EB surveys

- full academic freedom, partial or entire questionnaire censured, data blockage

- Further data integration towards ‘Big Data’

- Who might fund such efforts: GESIS, EC?


Thank you !

2007

2012

2015