Post by ck4829 on Sept 30, 2021 13:34:54 GMT
Conservative ideology is a robust and reliable predictor of antiscientific attitudes in the United States
New research published in Group Processes & Intergroup Relations provides evidence that political ideology is one of the most important factors when it comes to predicting distrust of climate science among Americans. The findings indicate that ideology even trumps partisan identification, suggesting that people are not simply parroting the views of their preferred political leaders.
“The unwarranted denial of science — irrespective of whether it regards social distancing and preventive infection measures during a pandemic, hesitancy towards vaccination, or supporting candidates impeding climate change legislation — is profoundly detrimental to public health, the environment, and the economy as recent events have shown in the United States but also in other countries such as the Netherlands and the United Kingdom,” Azevedo continued.
“The main takeaway is that political conservatism appears to be the most robust and reliable factor associated with antiscientific attitudes. To contextualize these findings with the extant literature, our findings are at odds with the view that ordinary citizens are ideologically ‘innocent’ or ‘ignorant’; or that social and political behavior can be better — or entirely — explained by partisan identification,” Azevedo told PsyPost.
Those who scored higher on measures of right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and system justification were also more likely hold antiscientific attitudes. Right-wing authoritarianism describes the tendency to submit to political authority and be hostile towards those who violate traditional values, while social dominance orientation describes the tendency to accept inequality among social groups. System justification is characterized by defending and justifying the societal status quo.
www.psypost.org/2021/07/conservative-ideology-is-a-robust-and-reliable-predictor-of-antiscientific-attitudes-in-the-united-states-61558
New research published in Group Processes & Intergroup Relations provides evidence that political ideology is one of the most important factors when it comes to predicting distrust of climate science among Americans. The findings indicate that ideology even trumps partisan identification, suggesting that people are not simply parroting the views of their preferred political leaders.
“The unwarranted denial of science — irrespective of whether it regards social distancing and preventive infection measures during a pandemic, hesitancy towards vaccination, or supporting candidates impeding climate change legislation — is profoundly detrimental to public health, the environment, and the economy as recent events have shown in the United States but also in other countries such as the Netherlands and the United Kingdom,” Azevedo continued.
“The main takeaway is that political conservatism appears to be the most robust and reliable factor associated with antiscientific attitudes. To contextualize these findings with the extant literature, our findings are at odds with the view that ordinary citizens are ideologically ‘innocent’ or ‘ignorant’; or that social and political behavior can be better — or entirely — explained by partisan identification,” Azevedo told PsyPost.
Those who scored higher on measures of right-wing authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and system justification were also more likely hold antiscientific attitudes. Right-wing authoritarianism describes the tendency to submit to political authority and be hostile towards those who violate traditional values, while social dominance orientation describes the tendency to accept inequality among social groups. System justification is characterized by defending and justifying the societal status quo.
www.psypost.org/2021/07/conservative-ideology-is-a-robust-and-reliable-predictor-of-antiscientific-attitudes-in-the-united-states-61558