Abstract
As social scientists have investigated the political and social factors influencing public opinion in science-related policy debates, there has been growing interest in the implications of this research for public communication and outreach. Given the level of political polarization in the United States, much of the focus has been on partisan differences in public opinion, the strategies employed by political leaders and advocates that promote those differences, and the counter-strategies for overcoming them. Yet this focus on partisan differences tends to overlook the processes by which core beliefs about science and society impact public opinion and how these schema are often activated by specific frames of reference embedded in media coverage and popular discourse. In this study, analyzing cross-sectional, nationally representative survey data collected between 2002 and 2010, we investigate the relative influence of political partisanship and science-related schema on Americans' support for embryonic stem cell research. In comparison to the influence of partisan identity, our findings suggest that generalized beliefs about science and society were more chronically accessible, less volatile in relation to media attention and focusing events, and an overall stronger influence on public opinion. Classifying respondents into four unique audience groups based on their beliefs about science and society, we additionally find that individuals within each of these groups split relatively evenly by partisanship but differ on other important dimensions. The implications for public engagement and future research on controversies related to biomedical science are discussed.
Highlights
Over the past decade, there has been considerable research and growing popular interest in what the U.S National Academies calls the ‘‘science of science communication.’’ [1] Social scientists across fields have investigated the social and cognitive factors that shape public perceptions and opinions about science and technology
In the United States, popular discussion of science communication research continues to focus relatively narrowly on differences in public opinion related to political partisanship and on blaming political leaders and the news media for these differences
Consistent with past studies, our findings indicate that political partisanship had a significant effect on public opinion in the stem cell debate and that the influence of partisanship was greatest among the better educated
Summary
There has been considerable research and growing popular interest in what the U.S National Academies calls the ‘‘science of science communication.’’ [1] Social scientists across fields have investigated the social and cognitive factors that shape public perceptions and opinions about science and technology. The influence of knowledge often varies by way of an individual’s social identity, such that highly knowledgeable and well-educated individuals from different social groups tend to be the most polarized in their opinions These differences by social group have been observed in studies of public opinion related to stem cell research [3],[4], nanotechnology [5],[6], genetic testing [7], climate change [8], and other topics. Research in this area helps us understand how public opinion is influenced by various political strategies and social factors, but can inform the communication and outreach efforts of scientists and their institutions. In the United States, popular discussion of science communication research continues to focus relatively narrowly on differences in public opinion related to political partisanship and on blaming political leaders and the news media for these differences
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