Public Engagement on Genetically Modified Organisms When Science and Citizens Connect: Workshop Summary (2015) / Chapter Skim
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2 How People Think (about Genetically Modified Organisms)
2 How People Think (about Genetically Modified Organisms)
Pages 5-12
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Kahan and other scientific subjects. provided an example of that effect from his research on climate change and public literacy.3 Using National Science Foundation data on public science DEBUNKING MYTHS ABOUT PUBLIC literacy and technical reasoning capacity, Kahan and PERCEPTIONS OF SCIENCE colleagues found that when a person's political outlook is more liberal, concern about climate Scientists often blame science illiteracy, change increases as science literacy increases; unscientific thinking, and distrust for societal debate however, if one's political outlook is more about science and its applications, such as that on conservative, concern about climate change GMOs.
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Confirmation bias "is Effects of value predispositions, mass media use, and pretty scary because it basically allows us to believe knowledge on public attitudes toward embryonic stem the only credible people are the ones who share our cell research. International Journal of Public Opinion worldview.
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ether genetica modified ally d Wha makes it tri at icky," Goldst said, "is t ton that we do f food is safe to eat and that "know d wledge level l not k know when a how and which facts are going and a accounts for a small amoun of the varia nt ance in public c to m matter." a attitude." In short, risk per s rception is no determined ot d b people's knowledge about poten by ntial hazards, , B Brossard expl lained. She added that pe a eople tend to o Myt 2: Useful Public Deb Requir th l bate res a assess risks posed by tech p hnologies, suc as GMOs, ch , Citiz zens That T Think Like S Scientists o the basis of a combina on ation of know wledge about t W What does it mean to thin like a scie nk entist?
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To illustrate that point, Scheufele described Some have argued that the root of problems in research results from regularly conducted surveys societal debates about science is a declining trust in and interviews with leading scientists about the scientists, Scheufele noted. However, he pointed out societal and public policy interfaces of their that data from the General Social Survey11 that research, such as risks, benefits, and the need for demonstrate the percentage of Americans that regulation.9 An initial review of the findings express "a great deal of confidence" in the scientific revealed that scientists believe that the greater the community has remained roughly unchanged since risks of a new technology, such as nanotechnology, the early 1980s (Figure 2-2)
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profiles of people who are experts in particular p p r conccluded that pe eople trust sc cientists, "bu they are ut s scientific isssues.14 They measured participants' y ' moti ivated to see that what sciience says is consistent c cultural outloooks. Current theory predi icts that how w with what their gr h roup says." p people form their ideas about risk an strengthen a nd n t their commitm to group will reflect their cultural ment ps l o outlooks.
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how people make decisions about truthfulness, Finally, people are affected by their desire to be seen Hallman and his colleagues conducted surveys to in particular ways to fit into a social or cultural examine consumers' beliefs about GMOs.15 They group; this shortcut focuses more on selfasked 1,148 adults selected from a representative presentation that is consistent with the group than on panel of American consumers to rate the truthfulness the "truth" of an issue. Motivation and the ability to of claims about GMOs commonly found on the digest and consider factual information influence Internet on a scale ranging from definitely true to how much one relies on mental shortcuts, according definitely false or "I don't know".
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An initial emotional response and crossbones represents danger to some, but child- affects later thinking. The pattern can also be poisoning studies demonstrate that the image doesn't cyclical: "I like it because it is good, and it is good intrinsically indicate poison.
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none, and 66% had never had a conversation about Science issues involving food carry particular GMOs with anyone. In addition, only 43% knew significance, and they are different from other that there are genetically modified foods in science issues about which people make decisions, supermarkets today, and only 25% believed that they according to Hallman.
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