Abstract
Accepting the concept of evolution is important for the advancement of biological science and has many implications for daily life. However, a large portion of the general public does not currently accept biological evolution. Therefore, it is important to understand what factors are associated with a decline in the acceptance of evolution. Of particular interest for us is the relationship of individuals’ sense of trust in science in relationship to evolution acceptance. Using the Trust in Science and Scientists and Inventory of Student Evolution Acceptance we surveyed 159 undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory psychology course. Additionally, we also asked the students questions regarding their religious commitment and political orientation. To analyze the data we calculated correlations, regressions, and conducted a path analysis. We found that lower levels of trust in science and scientists, stronger religious commitment, and more conservative political orientations were associated with a decrease in the acceptance of evolution in an undergraduate sample. We also found that the results shifted as the contexts for evolution changed. While religious commitment has been previously studied, when combined with levels of both trust in science and scientists and political orientation we gain new insight into how different factors combine to influence evolution acceptance, particularly as the evolution context changes. By understanding how these factors are linked to acceptance of evolution, we may be able to start developing strategies for increasing the acceptance of evolution that are consistent with a range of worldviews.
Highlights
Accepting the concept of evolution is important for the advancement of biological science and has many implications for daily life
The analysis for our first research question revealed that trust in science and scientists was associated with overall evolution acceptance (β = .57, t(157) = 8.69, p < .001) and that trust in science explained a significant proportion of the variance in overall evolution acceptance (R2 = .33, F(1,157) = 75.52, p < . 001)
Our results indicate that about 33 % of the variance in evolution acceptance can Cronbach’s Alpha
Summary
Accepting the concept of evolution is important for the advancement of biological science and has many implications for daily life. A large portion of the general public does not currently accept biological evolution. Surveys of the general public in the United States reveal somewhere between 19 % and 32 % of the population accept biological evolution as a full explanation for the origin of humans as a species (Gallup 2014; Pew Research Center 2013). A little over 30 % of the adult public in the United States accepts evolution (as driven by natural selection) for all organisms (Pew Research Center 2013). Low levels of acceptance of biological evolution can be found in other countries, the United States public tends to rank among some of the lowest levels of acceptance (Miller et al 2006). Due to the nature of science, such as tentative knowledge (McComas et al 1998a, b), the tenet of science that mandates that scientific explanations be based on the best available data may cause explanations to shift as new data are gathered, suggesting there may be a different explanation (e.g. the debate over whether drinking coffee good for you or bad for you, see Higdon and Frei, 2006).
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