Trust in Science Soars Amid
Global
Pandemic
ST. PAUL, Minn.-
(BUSINESS WIRE) - 10/10/2020 - If the world’s biggest challenges
are to be solved, science will lead the way.
That’s the
takeaway from the annual 3M State of Science Index (SOSI). This
year’s survey shows that the image of science is on the rise,
sustainable solutions remain critical, barriers to STEM and
gender/race inequality must be removed, and public/private
partnerships are expected to solve issues that people care most
about.
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A screenshot from the 3M SOSI site.
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“As people face
the most challenging health crisis in our lifetime, science is more
relevant, more trusted, and more important to people all over the
world,” said Mike Roman, chairman of the board and chief executive
officer, 3M. “Advocating for science is important to 3M, but it’s
bigger than just us. We’re leaning in with a focus on the things
people care most about: pandemic preparedness, sustainability, social
justice, and STEM equity. The State of Science Index shows that
people want and expect science to make lives better and these are
important issues that are at the heart of 3M’s vision to improve
every life.”
Against the
backdrop of COVID-19, trust in science and scientists is the highest
it has been in three years since SOSI first began. Today, 89%* of
those surveyed trust science; 86%* trust scientists; 77% are more
likely as a result of the pandemic to agree that science needs more
funding; and more than half (54%*) agree science is very important to
their everyday lives – a double-digit increase from the
pre-pandemic data (44%*). Rounding out the picture, 92% of global
respondents believe actions should follow science to contain the
global pandemic, revealing another measure of trust in science.
The evolving image
of science is a key theme to emerge from findings of SOSI -- a third
party, independently researched study commissioned by 3M to track
attitudes towards science. The latest SOSI survey was fielded in
eleven countries throughout July and August of 2020, about six months
into the global pandemic.
COVID-19 has made people more appreciative of what science can do
A world that has
been increasingly skeptical of science seems to be waking up to its
relevance and importance. In 2020, rising skepticism reversed for the
first time in three years. People who stated, “I am skeptical of
science,” dropped by 7 points to 28%* during the pandemic this
summer, from its high of 35%* last year. Relatedly, respondents who
only believe science that aligns with their personal beliefs is down
six percentage points from when the question was first asked in 2018.
A renewed trust in
science appears to translate into taking action too: more than half
of those surveyed (54%) agree COVID-19 has made them more likely to
advocate for science, whereas pre-pandemic data showed only 20% would
stand up for science when debating its merits with others.
There is good
reason to push for science advocacy because the needle hasn’t moved
on everything. Nearly two-thirds (63%) rarely think about the impact
science has on their everyday lives—and nearly one-third (32%)
still believe their lives “wouldn’t be that different” if
science didn’t exist.
Solutions remain critical: science, sustainability and social justice
There are negative
consequences to a world that does not value science, according to 82%
of those surveyed. When those who agree were asked about the top
negative consequences of concern — topping the list of concerns is
“a higher risk of health issues” (68%) – which is not
surprising in a year dominated by COVID-19. But sustainability
remains an important priority too, with “negative environmental
impact” (67%) cited as the second most concerning consequence.
Similarly, when
asked about issues people most want to solve for, finding a cure for
emerging viruses (such as COVID-19) ranks at the top (80%), followed
by finding a cure for other major diseases (62%). Outside of
healthcare, social justice and the environment are among the greatest
priorities. Social justice/STEM equity (advocating for racial
equality in society and/or ensuring underrepresented minorities have
access to STEM education) is the top non-health related issue (55%) -
and addressing the effects of climate change is the second (51%).
But, who will the
world count on to resolve these problems people care about in the
future? The next generation of scientists, which must be more diverse
and better engaged to truly address global challenges.
Race and
generational barriers to STEM education threaten future advances
As a result of the
pandemic, pro-STEM sentiment is even stronger: today, 74% are more
likely to believe that the world needs more people pursuing
STEM-related careers to benefit society, while 73% are more likely to
believe a strong STEM education is crucial for students.
Unfortunately, too
many people have been discouraged from pursuing science, especially
younger generations; Gen Z respondents are three times more likely
than their boomer counterparts to report being discouraged as K-12
students from pursuing science (28% adult Gen Zers, 24% millennials,
15% Gen X and 9% baby boomers).
The reasons for
being discouraged reveal barriers that run deep: More than one-third
of discouraged respondents (36%) say it was due to a lack of access
to science classes in school, 34% were told they weren’t smart
enough, and 27% point to inequalities in gender, race and/or
ethnicity as the problem; in the U.S., this issue is especially high,
at 50%.
“We’ve learned
from this year’s study and from previous years that people want and
need science to solve global challenges,” said Dr. Jayshree Seth,
corporate scientist and chief science advocate at 3M. “It has never
been more important to enable bright, motivated students from all
walks of life to reach their full potential and achieve their dreams
through careers in STEM,” Dr. Seth continued. “Attracting the
next generation of scientists starts with access to education and
motivating students to pursue STEM. The science community – and
therefore the world – will only benefit from a greater diversity of
talent across gender, racial and ethnic lines.”
Businesses and
governments have to work together
The pandemic has
uncovered perceived gaps in science leadership around the world, but
it has also revealed opportunities to make a difference. A vast
majority of survey respondents around the world believe governments
need to lead the way -- 86% say governments should be more involved
in containing the spread of COVID-19. In the same way, they also look
to governments to address challenges such as affordable healthcare
(86%), food safety (86%), improving air quality (85%), and ocean
plastics pollution (84%).
While governments
are deemed the single most responsible organization, a combination of
non-government entities emerge as viable partners (corporations,
non-profits, and individual citizens) to help address challenges like
climate change (48% non-government** vs. 52% government). For racial
inequality, respondents are split 52% non-government** vs. 48%
government; and for equal access to STEM education for
underrepresented minority groups, the split is 38% for
non-government** vs. 62% for government.
Importantly, 53%
of respondents believe that, amid major challenges in 2020,
corporations should prioritize collaborating with governments for
solutions to global challenges — second only to preparing for
future pandemics (61%).
3M will host a
live media briefing and panel discussion on Tuesday October 6th at
2.20pm ET, to talk about the State of Science in 2020, insights
behind the findings, and their implications to society with
scientists from 3M; the American Association for the Advancement of
Science; the UNCF; and the University of Texas at Austin. To register
and join the live panel event, please click here.
For more
information about the 2020 SOSI Pre-Pandemic and Pandemic Pulse
survey results, please visit www.3M.com/scienceindex.
Survey Methodology
3M’s State of
Science Index presents two waves of original, independent and
nationally representative (based on census demographics) research in
2020, both conducted by global research firm Ipsos through a
combination of online and offline interviews.
Pre-Pandemic Wave:
The 2020 Pre-Pandemic Survey was conducted in 14 countries among
1,000 general population adults (18+) in each of the following
countries: Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, India, Japan, Mexico,
Poland, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, UK and the US.
At the 95% confidence level, the margin of error is +/- 0.83
percentage points at the global, 14-country level and +/- 3.1
percentage points for each individual country.
Pandemic Pulse
Wave: The 2020 Pandemic Pulse was conducted among 1,000 general
population adults (18+) in 11 of the 14 countries from the 2020
Pre-Pandemic Survey. Countries excluded from this pulse include
India, Mexico, and South Africa. At the 95% confidence level, the
margin of error is +/- 0.94 points at the 11-country level and +/-
3.1 percentage points for each individual country.
To compare across
all years of SOSI, a 9-country tracking average was used which has a
margin of error of +/- 1.04 percentage points. Countries within this
average include Brazil, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, Poland,
Singapore, UK and the US.
2020 Pre-Pandemic
survey results were fielded in August - October 2019, and 2020
Pandemic Pulse results were fielded in July - August 2020.
