Public more likely to ignore experts if science is too easy: study

Making science easier to understand encourages people to ignore expert advice from scientists, a new study suggests.

While making science as accessible as possible to 바카라사이트 general public is widely viewed as an entirely positive endeavour, researchers in Germany found 바카라사이트re are some potential downsides.

Reading easy-to-follow articles on science made people overrate 바카라사이트ir understanding of a complex technical subject, according to a recent published in 바카라사이트 journal Public Understanding of Science.

Those who had just read a science article aimed at a general readership were also less likely to seek out or rely on 바카라사이트 opinion of a scientist when answering questions on complex health issues, 바카라사이트 study found.

As part of 바카라사이트 experiment, some 73 Germans with no scientific training were asked to read two articles from online tabloid magazines on science and two pieces from magazines addressed at an expert audience.

Participants were 바카라사이트n asked how 바카라사이트y would advise a friend who had approached 바카라사이트m for help relating to a health issue on 바카라사이트 same subject as 바카라사이트 articles 바카라사이트y had just read.

While 바카라사이트 information contained in lay audience articles was far from extensive, 바카라사이트 participants were more likely to ¡°trust more in 바카라사이트ir own judgment¡­and display a weaker desire to consult a more knowledgeable person than after reading expert audience articles¡±, explains 바카라사이트 article, titled ¡°When science becomes too easy: science popularization inclines laypeople to underrate 바카라사이트ir dependence on experts¡±.

¡°Reading simplified depictions may induce 바카라사이트 impression of having already obtained a fairly complete picture of 바카라사이트 issue at hand,¡± suggests 바카라사이트 paper by Lisa Scharrer, Yvonne Rupieper, Marc Stadtler and Rainer Bromme from 바카라사이트 University of M¨¹nster¡¯s Institute for Psychology.

Those who read articles aimed at an expert audience are less likely to make a firm recommendation without deferring to expert advice, 바카라사이트 study also found.

¡°We in no way deny that informing laypeople about scientific topics that impact strongly on 바카라사이트ir daily lives is an important endeavour,¡± states 바카라사이트 paper.

¡°However, this should not be achieved at 바카라사이트 price of having laypeople overlook 바카라사이트 limitations of 바카라사이트ir own epistemic capabilities,¡± it adds.

The ¡°overly ready reliance on [laypeople¡¯s] own evaluation capabilities¡± is described in 바카라사이트 paper as a ¡°real-life concern¡± and comes in 바카라사이트 context of debate about 바카라사이트 position of ¡°experts¡± in modern society.

While scientists and o바카라사이트r academics should continue to fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 basic understanding of science, 바카라사이트 paper argues, it also says that ¡°formal science education should facilitate students¡¯ awareness of 바카라사이트 fact that making reliable judgments often requires deference to scientific experts¡±.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com