Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries

TISP author collaboration; Viktoria Cologna; Niels G. Mede; Sebastian Berger; John Besley; Cameron Brick; Marina Joubert; Edward W. Maibach; Sabina Mihelj; Naomi Oreskes; Mike S. Schäfer; Sander van der Linden; Nor Izzatina Abdul Aziz; Suleiman Abdulsalam; Nurulaini Abu Shamsi; Balazs Aczel; Indro Adinugroho; Eleonora Alabrese; Alaa Aldoh; Mark Alfano; Innocent Mbulli Ali; Mohammed Alsobay; Marlene Altenmüller; R. Michael Alvarez; Richard Amoako; Tabitha Amollo; Patrick Ansah; Denisa Apriliawati; Flavio Azevedo; Ani Bajrami; Ronita Bardhan; Keagile Bati; Eri Bertsou; Cornelia Betsch; Apurav Yash Bhatiya; Rahul Bhui; Olga Białobrzeska; Michał Bilewicz; Ayoub Bouguettaya; Katherine Breeden; Amélie Bret; Ondrej Buchel; Pablo Cabrera-Álvarez; Federica Cagnoli; André Calero Valdez; Timothy Callaghan; Rizza Kaye Cases; Sami Çoksan; Gabriela Czarnek; Steven De Peuter; Lilian Kojan

doi:10.1038/s41562-024-02090-5

Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries

TISP author collaboration, Viktoria Cologna^*, Niels G. Mede, Sebastian Berger, John Besley, Cameron Brick, Marina Joubert, Edward W. Maibach, Sabina Mihelj, Naomi Oreskes, Mike S. Schäfer, Sander van der Linden, Nor Izzatina Abdul Aziz, Suleiman Abdulsalam, Nurulaini Abu Shamsi, Balazs Aczel, Indro Adinugroho, Eleonora Alabrese, Alaa Aldoh, Mark AlfanoInnocent Mbulli Ali, Mohammed Alsobay, Marlene Altenmüller, R. Michael Alvarez, Richard Amoako, Tabitha Amollo, Patrick Ansah, Denisa Apriliawati, Flavio Azevedo, Ani Bajrami, Ronita Bardhan, Keagile Bati, Eri Bertsou, Cornelia Betsch, Apurav Yash Bhatiya, Rahul Bhui, Olga Białobrzeska, Michał Bilewicz, Ayoub Bouguettaya, Katherine Breeden, Amélie Bret, Ondrej Buchel, Pablo Cabrera-Álvarez, Federica Cagnoli, André Calero Valdez, Timothy Callaghan, Rizza Kaye Cases, Sami Çoksan, Gabriela Czarnek, Steven De Peuter, Lilian Kojan

^*Corresponding author for this work

Institute of Human-Centered Interactive Systems

261 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Science is crucial for evidence-based decision-making. Public trust in scientists can help decision makers act on the basis of the best available evidence, especially during crises. However, in recent years the epistemic authority of science has been challenged, causing concerns about low public trust in scientists. We interrogated these concerns with a preregistered 68-country survey of 71,922 respondents and found that in most countries, most people trust scientists and agree that scientists should engage more in society and policymaking. We found variations between and within countries, which we explain with individual- and country-level variables, including political orientation. While there is no widespread lack of trust in scientists, we cannot discount the concern that lack of trust in scientists by even a small minority may affect considerations of scientific evidence in policymaking. These findings have implications for scientists and policymakers seeking to maintain and increase trust in scientists.

Original language	English
Article number	e2108576118
Journal	Nature Human Behaviour
Volume	9
Issue number	4
Pages (from-to)	713-730
Number of pages	18
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-02090-5
Publication status	Published - 04.2025

Funding

Funders	Funder number
United States Agency for International Development
Balai Pembiayaan Pendidikan Tinggi
Uniwersytet Śląski w Katowicach
Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Kalijaga
Australian National University
Jagiellonian University
Universität Hamburg
Aston University
Uniwersytet Warszawski
Universität Wien
Keynes Fund
University of Birmingham
Genome Canada
University of Delaware
Turun Yliopisto
HELTS Foundation
Resnick Sustainability Institute for Science, Energy and Sustainability, California Institute of Technology
Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología
University of Melbourne
Harvey Mudd College
Lembaga Pengelola Dana Pendidikan
Global Challenges Research Fund
California Institute of Technology
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich
Uniwersytet Mikolaja Kopernika w Toruniu
Harvard University
European Commission
Victoria University of Wellington
University of Tasmania
Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology (ZIHP)
Centre for Marine Socioecology
Beasiswa Pendidikan Indonesia Kemendikbudristek
Universitetet i Bergen
National Research University Higher School of Economics
Broad Institute of Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
Boston University
Quadrature Climate Foundation
NOMIS Stiftung
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia	UIDB/04295/2020, UIDP/04295/2020
Australian Research Council	DP190101507
Horizon Europe funding guarantee	EP/X042758/1
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo	2019/26665-5
National Science and Technology Council	111-2628-H-002-003-, 112-2628-H-002-002-
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme	964728
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada	430-2022-00711
Leverhulme International	LIP-2022-001
Vetenskapsrådet	2020-02584
John Templeton Foundation	61378
National Institute of Science and Technology on Social and Affective Neuroscience	406463/2022-0, PR00P1_193128
Consejo Nacional de Humanidades, Ciencias y Tecnologías	A1S9013
Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation	OPP1144, TMA2020CDF-3171
Carleton College	DP190101675
Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society	JPMJRX20J3
Univerzita Karlova v Praze	61580
Agentúra na Podporu Výskumu a Vývoja	APVV-22-0242
European Research Council	101018262
Economic and Social Research Council	ES/X000702/1
Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung	031L0299D
Aarhus Universitets Forskningsfond	AUFF-E-2019-9-13
Austrian Science Fund	I3381, W1262-B29
Uniwersytet Łódzki	FT190100708
Major Innovation Fund	AUFF-E-2019-9-4
Horizon 2020	62631, DP180102384, 822166
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft	458303980
Direktion für Entwicklung und Zusammenarbeit	7F09521
Agence Nationale de la Recherche	ANR-21-CE28-0016-01
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung	P500PS_202935
City University of Hong Kong	PJ9618021
Innovation Fund	RES0049213
Bundesamt für Energie	SI/502093–01
DEC	ANR-17-EURE-0017, ANR-10-IDEX-0001-02

DFG Research Classification Scheme

1.22-04 Social Psychology, Industrial and Organisational Psychology
1.23-02 Empirical Social Research

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10.1038/s41562-024-02090-5

Cite this

TISP author collaboration, Cologna, V., Mede, N. G., Berger, S., Besley, J., Brick, C., Joubert, M., Maibach, E. W., Mihelj, S., Oreskes, N., Schäfer, M. S., van der Linden, S., Abdul Aziz, N. I., Abdulsalam, S., Shamsi, N. A., Aczel, B., Adinugroho, I., Alabrese, E., Aldoh, A., ... Kojan, L. (2025). Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries. Nature Human Behaviour, 9(4), 713-730. Article e2108576118. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-02090-5

@article{4a90d40981b04071a3b43905d7ac0bdd,

title = "Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries",

abstract = "Science is crucial for evidence-based decision-making. Public trust in scientists can help decision makers act on the basis of the best available evidence, especially during crises. However, in recent years the epistemic authority of science has been challenged, causing concerns about low public trust in scientists. We interrogated these concerns with a preregistered 68-country survey of 71,922 respondents and found that in most countries, most people trust scientists and agree that scientists should engage more in society and policymaking. We found variations between and within countries, which we explain with individual- and country-level variables, including political orientation. While there is no widespread lack of trust in scientists, we cannot discount the concern that lack of trust in scientists by even a small minority may affect considerations of scientific evidence in policymaking. These findings have implications for scientists and policymakers seeking to maintain and increase trust in scientists.",

author = "\{TISP author collaboration\} and Viktoria Cologna and Mede, \{Niels G.\} and Sebastian Berger and John Besley and Cameron Brick and Marina Joubert and Maibach, \{Edward W.\} and Sabina Mihelj and Naomi Oreskes and Sch{\"a}fer, \{Mike S.\} and \{van der Linden\}, Sander and \{Abdul Aziz\}, \{Nor Izzatina\} and Suleiman Abdulsalam and Shamsi, \{Nurulaini Abu\} and Balazs Aczel and Indro Adinugroho and Eleonora Alabrese and Alaa Aldoh and Mark Alfano and Ali, \{Innocent Mbulli\} and Mohammed Alsobay and Marlene Altenm{\"u}ller and Alvarez, \{R. Michael\} and Richard Amoako and Tabitha Amollo and Patrick Ansah and Denisa Apriliawati and Flavio Azevedo and Ani Bajrami and Ronita Bardhan and Keagile Bati and Eri Bertsou and Cornelia Betsch and Bhatiya, \{Apurav Yash\} and Rahul Bhui and Olga Bia{\l}obrzeska and Micha{\l} Bilewicz and Ayoub Bouguettaya and Katherine Breeden and Am{\'e}lie Bret and Ondrej Buchel and Pablo Cabrera-{\'A}lvarez and Federica Cagnoli and \{Calero Valdez\}, Andr{\'e} and Timothy Callaghan and Cases, \{Rizza Kaye\} and Sami {\c C}oksan and Gabriela Czarnek and \{De Peuter\}, Steven and Lilian Kojan",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1038/s41562-024-02090-5",

language = "English",

volume = "9",

pages = "713--730",

journal = "Nature Human Behaviour",

issn = "2397-3374",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

number = "4",

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TISP author collaboration, Cologna, V, Mede, NG, Berger, S, Besley, J, Brick, C, Joubert, M, Maibach, EW, Mihelj, S, Oreskes, N, Schäfer, MS, van der Linden, S, Abdul Aziz, NI, Abdulsalam, S, Shamsi, NA, Aczel, B, Adinugroho, I, Alabrese, E, Aldoh, A, Alfano, M, Ali, IM, Alsobay, M, Altenmüller, M, Alvarez, RM, Amoako, R, Amollo, T, Ansah, P, Apriliawati, D, Azevedo, F, Bajrami, A, Bardhan, R, Bati, K, Bertsou, E, Betsch, C, Bhatiya, AY, Bhui, R, Białobrzeska, O, Bilewicz, M, Bouguettaya, A, Breeden, K, Bret, A, Buchel, O, Cabrera-Álvarez, P, Cagnoli, F, Calero Valdez, A, Callaghan, T, Cases, RK, Çoksan, S, Czarnek, G, De Peuter, S & Kojan, L 2025, 'Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries', Nature Human Behaviour, vol. 9, no. 4, e2108576118, pp. 713-730. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-024-02090-5

TY - JOUR

T1 - Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries

AU - TISP author collaboration

AU - Cologna, Viktoria

AU - Mede, Niels G.

AU - Berger, Sebastian

AU - Besley, John

AU - Brick, Cameron

AU - Joubert, Marina

AU - Maibach, Edward W.

AU - Mihelj, Sabina

AU - Oreskes, Naomi

AU - Schäfer, Mike S.

AU - van der Linden, Sander

AU - Abdul Aziz, Nor Izzatina

AU - Abdulsalam, Suleiman

AU - Shamsi, Nurulaini Abu

AU - Aczel, Balazs

AU - Adinugroho, Indro

AU - Alabrese, Eleonora

AU - Aldoh, Alaa

AU - Alfano, Mark

AU - Ali, Innocent Mbulli

AU - Alsobay, Mohammed

AU - Altenmüller, Marlene

AU - Alvarez, R. Michael

AU - Amoako, Richard

AU - Amollo, Tabitha

AU - Ansah, Patrick

AU - Apriliawati, Denisa

AU - Azevedo, Flavio

AU - Bajrami, Ani

AU - Bardhan, Ronita

AU - Bati, Keagile

AU - Bertsou, Eri

AU - Betsch, Cornelia

AU - Bhatiya, Apurav Yash

AU - Bhui, Rahul

AU - Białobrzeska, Olga

AU - Bilewicz, Michał

AU - Bouguettaya, Ayoub

AU - Breeden, Katherine

AU - Bret, Amélie

AU - Buchel, Ondrej

AU - Cabrera-Álvarez, Pablo

AU - Cagnoli, Federica

AU - Calero Valdez, André

AU - Callaghan, Timothy

AU - Cases, Rizza Kaye

AU - Çoksan, Sami

AU - Czarnek, Gabriela

AU - De Peuter, Steven

AU - Kojan, Lilian

PY - 2025/4

Y1 - 2025/4

N2 - Science is crucial for evidence-based decision-making. Public trust in scientists can help decision makers act on the basis of the best available evidence, especially during crises. However, in recent years the epistemic authority of science has been challenged, causing concerns about low public trust in scientists. We interrogated these concerns with a preregistered 68-country survey of 71,922 respondents and found that in most countries, most people trust scientists and agree that scientists should engage more in society and policymaking. We found variations between and within countries, which we explain with individual- and country-level variables, including political orientation. While there is no widespread lack of trust in scientists, we cannot discount the concern that lack of trust in scientists by even a small minority may affect considerations of scientific evidence in policymaking. These findings have implications for scientists and policymakers seeking to maintain and increase trust in scientists.

AB - Science is crucial for evidence-based decision-making. Public trust in scientists can help decision makers act on the basis of the best available evidence, especially during crises. However, in recent years the epistemic authority of science has been challenged, causing concerns about low public trust in scientists. We interrogated these concerns with a preregistered 68-country survey of 71,922 respondents and found that in most countries, most people trust scientists and agree that scientists should engage more in society and policymaking. We found variations between and within countries, which we explain with individual- and country-level variables, including political orientation. While there is no widespread lack of trust in scientists, we cannot discount the concern that lack of trust in scientists by even a small minority may affect considerations of scientific evidence in policymaking. These findings have implications for scientists and policymakers seeking to maintain and increase trust in scientists.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85215413416

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/597561c5-a3cb-305a-a2c2-bf4ff53ed22c/

U2 - 10.1038/s41562-024-02090-5

DO - 10.1038/s41562-024-02090-5

M3 - Journal articles

C2 - 39833424

AN - SCOPUS:85215413416

SN - 2397-3374

VL - 9

SP - 713

EP - 730

JO - Nature Human Behaviour

JF - Nature Human Behaviour

IS - 4

M1 - e2108576118

ER -

Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries

Abstract

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DFG Research Classification Scheme

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