Where next for attitudes to science?

By Clio Heslop, Head of Policy, Partnerships, and Impact   

At our recent For Thought event, Lord Patrick Vallance, Minister for Science, Research, and Innovation  talked about a “mission-led” Government, and the importance of applying science, research, and technology to real-world challenges. The Minister went on to describe his Department’s aim to use science and technology to “improve the quality of lives, the outlook, the promise for all citizens.” He followed that “this means engaging to understand what people want from rapidly advancing technology". 

The latest UK Public Attitudes to Science (PAS) survey, launched this year by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Ipsos, and the British Science Association (BSA), will provide the understanding we need to do just this. The survey comes at a pivotal moment. It is the first wave of PAS since COVID-19  - an era that saw science thrust into the public spotlight as never before, from vaccine development to AI and energy security. 

Trust and engagement in science 

We know from past PAS surveys that while trust in science is traditionally high, active engagement is low. In 2019, only 22% of respondents actively sought out science, and nearly half thought scientists did too little to inform the public. Science often felt invisible or disconnected from everyday life. 

But, since 2019 our world has become more complex, and the media landscape has changed dramatically. Short video platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels can spread both science and misinformation at lightning speed. As the ground shifts beneath us, we need a clearer understanding of how the UK public sees science today. 

We have some evidence to draw from that indicates the current state of the relationship between science and society – and most of that evidence points to a positive relationship.  

• The 2024 Ipsos ‘Veracity Index’ showed that 79% of people trusted ‘Scientists’ to tell the truth – a rise from 74% in 2023.  

• A recent Eurobarometer survey conducted across all current EU member states found that 83% of citizens think that the overall influence of science and technology is positive, however, 62% agree that science but mostly improves the lives of people who are already better off  

• A study of over 9500 US adults run by Pew Research Center found that though 76% of Americans expressed confidence in scientists to act in the public’s best interests, 47% have a view of scientists as being elitist / ‘feel superior to others’,  

• A major global study in Nature Human Behaviour found that overall trust in scientists is moderately high, and found a low correlation between education and trust, showing that it’s not the case that ‘the more you know, the more you trust’. 

• The Campaign for Science and Engineering (CaSE) found that although 70% of people think investment R&D is important, many people (particularly younger people) see it as somewhat abstract and not necessarily urgent.  

What will we learn from PAS? 

With the new PAS survey, we're not just asking about people's attitudes to science-whether we trust it - but why. We're exploring how science contributes to everyday lives, how relevant it feels to Government priorities, and what people do with the scientific information they encounter. 

Some of the questions we're seeking answers to include: 

• Trust: Are we moving from blind trust to earned trust in science? 

• Engagement: Has the pandemic made people see scientific knowledge as more valuable? 

• Media Influence: Has the rise of new media changed how people view science in the news? 

• Relevance: Do people believe science is addressing the issues that matter most to them? 

Chart: % of people agreeing with each statement across previous waves of PAS 

• With so many changes to the media landscape, it will be interesting to see whether the fall in people thinking that the media sensationalises science rises back up to 2014 levels or higher, or continues to fall. 

• As noted above, the COVID-19 pandemic brought science into peoples lives and homes on a daily basis. We’re interested to find out if people feel that knowledge about science is more important than pre-pandemic.  

• Agreement that science makes a valuable contribution to society has been high and stable over many years, so it will be a good indication of any major shifts in attitudes to science.  

• We have seen decreasing agreement that scientists should listen more to “ordinary people” since 2008, but with much of the current political mood becoming anti-elite we could find that people think scientists need to be more in touch with public views. 

The 2025 PAS results will give us a detailed update on the state of the relationship between science and society in the UK. But it won't stop there. This wave is the first in a series of studies running until 2030 – giving us 30-years of trend data. Each survey will help us dig deeper into emerging trends and refine our approach to public engagement. We’re excited to share more as we gather and analyse the responses.