Abstract
ObjectivesGiven the centrality of science over the course of the COVID-19 crisis, we evaluate changes in people’s beliefs in the power of science in the United States over the first four months of the pandemic. Study designPost-hoc analysis of cross-sectional survey data. MethodsA convenience sample of 1327 participants was recruited through Amazon’s Mechanical Turk service for three surveys carried out in 14–25 January, 27 March to 1 April, and 28–29 May of 2020. Respondents completed a ten-item instrument measuring different aspects of their perceptions of science including trust, interest, and faith (answer to the question: “How much do you agree with the following statement: Science can sort out any problem.”). We conducted multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) with faith, interest, and trust as dependent variables, time as the independent variable, and political orientation and religiosity as between-subjects covariates. ResultsThe data revealed that public levels of faith in science increased between January (M = 3.2) and both March (M = 3.42) and May (M = 3.4). By contrast, we observed no changes in interest and trust in science over the same time period. ConclusionsWe speculate that increases in faith in science during the first four months of the pandemic helped people cope with the uncertainty and existential anxiety resulting from this public health crisis.
Highlights
Economic upheavals, public health emergencies, natural disasters and other instances of public crisis are known to change people’s perceptions of science and science-related issues [1]
Because the original study was unrelated to the COVID-19 crisis, for present purposes we focused our attention on the survey item that best tracked short-term change on the theoretical construct of primary interest: “How much do you agree with the following statement: Science can sort out any problem.”
Other aspects of people’s relationship to science, including interest and trust in science, remained unchanged over the same time period. These latter findings are similar to those reported recently by Agley (2020) [10], who found no differences in people’s trust in science before and after the pandemic began in the United States
Summary
Public health emergencies, natural disasters and other instances of public crisis are known to change people’s perceptions of science and science-related issues [1]. For example, may increase during difficult times, presumably as a coping mechanism to address uncertainties and existential anxieties [2]. Sibley and Bulbulia (2012)[3], for instance, observed increased religious beliefs among earthquake-affected New Zealanders following the natural disaster in Christchurch. Farias et al (2013)[4], observed that participants who contemplated their own death showed stronger faith in science than did those in a control group asked to write about their experience with dental pain. People increase their belief in scientific progress when placed in low-control situations [5]. Within the first five months of the COVID-19 pandemic, at least
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