The project team has constructed and validated the PSYDISC scale, which captures individual differences in psychological distance to science. The PSYDISC scale showed excellent predictive validity in relation to science rejection. More specifically, after accounting for demographics and various ideological and knowledge predictors, PSYDISC predicted significant additional variance for climate change, vaccination, evolution, GM foods, and genetic editing skepticism. PSYDISC scores also predicted behavioral outcomes, namely COVID-19 vaccination status.
The team has also conducted several experimental studies in which PSYDISC was experimentally manipulated across various science domains. The results consistently show that reducing PSYDISC leads to lower science rejection.
Furthmore, the team has set up a research line exploring stereotypes about scientists and how these shape trust. Building on various social evaluation models, results show that perceptions of competence but particularly morality emerged as the most important predictors of trust, which in turn increased the willingness to grant scientists influence in tackling societal problems. Using a data-driven approach, this research line also finds that there are substantial differences in stereotypes of scientists across various scientific disciplines.
These results have resulted in various scientific articles and conference presentations by the team members. Two recent review articles - published in Advances in Experimental Social Psychology and Trends in Cognitive Sciences - summarize the results of the project. The results have also been shared with various societal stakeholders, including science communication professionals, high school teachers, science museums, and the Dutch Royal Academy of the Sciences. The PI has participated in panels and advisory boards and has written various op-ed pieces on trust in science. It has also sparked an interdisciplinary PhD project co-led by the PI in which the project results are applied to the context of citizen science projects.
