Public Trust in Science Remains High, but Engagement is Low

February 14, 2024

Most Americans continue to think science benefits society, but rarely engage in scientific activities with professional scientists. People’s familiarity with the process of science also corresponds to how they think about scientific institutions.  

These and similar trends are in the Science and Technology: Public Perceptions, Awareness, and Information Sources report that the National Science Board published today. The report is part of the 2024 congressionally mandated Science and Engineering Indicators analysis of the state of the U.S. science and engineering enterprise, prepared by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics under the National Science Board’s guidance.

“This report illuminates the public perception of science and scientists and the importance of sharing research discoveries in a way that resonates with the general public,” said Daniel Reed, the Chair of the National Science Board. “It is encouraging to see that in 2022, 88% of U.S. adults agreed that scientific research that advances knowledge is necessary and deserves federal government support,” Reed said. “Federal investment in science is an essential enabler of economic competitiveness, national security, and public health.”

Public confidence in science and scientists has remained high for decades. Despite that confidence, most Americans rarely engage in scientific activities, like helping a child with a science project or participating in a citizen science event. Furthermore, households with greater parental educational attainment or income generally report greater exposure to science.

Knowledge about science processes also varies among Americans. Although 60% of American adults report understanding experimental logic, correctly noting that a control group can be useful for a study, only 50% could correctly identify a scientific hypothesis. That familiarity with scientific concepts, like identifying a hypothesis or the scientific method, is positively correlated with overall trust in science and scientists to act in the public’s interest.

 “We live in an world increasingly dominated by science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and the jobs that require STEM skills often pay higher salaries and offer more stability than non-STEM careers,” Reed says.

“Thus, it is imperative that everyone has an opportunity to study and engage with STEM subjects. We must invest in early STEM education and beyond to encourage everyone, especially those from the Missing Millions, or historically underrepresented demographics, to see themselves as future scientists, engineers, technicians, and health care professionals.”

Perceptions, familiarity, and exposure

Although in the past researchers often measured what people didn’t know to evaluate the public’s understanding of science and technology, more recently researchers have turned to measuring public perceptions of science practice and scientific institutions. Research on public perceptions of science practice and trust in scientific institutions can demonstrate opportunities for scientific institutions to address societal needs and improve public understanding of scientific mechanisms and processes.

The report draws from public opinion surveys like the American Trends Panel (Pew Research Center), the Wellcome Global Monitor (Welcome Trust), and the NSF-sponsored General Social Survey (NORC at the University of Chicago).

Information in the report falls along three dimensions:

1. Public perceptions of science and technology
2. Public familiarity with science research processes
3. Public exposure to science information sources and activities

Public perceptions of science have been consistently positive for at least 4 decades. U.S. adults’ widespread trust in science has been largely consistent with views of citizens in other countries that also have substantially invested in research and development.

Among U.S. adults, confidence in scientists differs by education and income, with confidence correlated with achieved education level. For example, 42% of U.S. adults with a postgraduate degree expressed a great deal of confidence in scientists, whereas 21% with a high school degree or less did. Additionally, 37% of U.S. adults in the highest of three family income tiers in the survey expressed a great deal of confidence, whereas 25% of U.S. adults in the lowest family income tier expressed that same level of confidence.

Americans tend to learn about science from general news sources rather than dedicated science sources. Information seeking about science can rapidly rise and fall, too. For example, in late 2019, 29% of American adults said that they think about the impact of science in your everyday life “a lot.” In 2020, after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, that figure jumped to 39%.

Science and Technology: Public Perceptions, Awareness, and Information Sources is the fifth of 10 Science and Engineering Indicators reports that the NSB will publish over the coming months through spring of 2024. 

About Science and Engineering Indicators

Science and Engineering Indicators is a congressionally mandated report on the state of the U.S. and international science and engineering enterprise. Indicators provides high-quality quantitative information on the enterprise in a series of reports and a data tool that provides state-level data.

About the NSB

The National Science Foundation Act of 1950 charged the NSB with two roles: to be the governing board of the NSF and an advisor to Congress and the President on policy matters related to STEM research and STEM education. Selected for their distinguished service and accomplishments in academia, government, and the private sector, the Board’s 24 presidentially appointed members are leaders in STEM research and education.

About the NCSES

NSF’s National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics (NCSES) is the nation's leading provider of statistical data on the U.S. science and engineering enterprise. As a principal federal statistical agency, NCSES serves as a clearinghouse for the collection, interpretation, analysis, and dissemination of objective science and engineering data.

Media Contact: Elizabeth Jeffers, National Science Board, (703) 292-7496, ejeffers@nsf.gov

The U.S. National Science Foundation propels the nation forward by advancing fundamental research in all fields of science and engineering. NSF supports research and people by providing facilities, instruments and funding to support their ingenuity and sustain the U.S. as a global leader in research and innovation. With a fiscal year 2023 budget of $9.5 billion, NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 colleges, universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives more than 40,000 competitive proposals and makes about 11,000 new awards. Those awards include support for cooperative research with industry, Arctic and Antarctic research and operations, and U.S. participation in international scientific efforts.

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