The Impact of Science Denial and Pseudoscience on the Behavioral and Social Sciences

Abstract

This special volume presents a set of papers on science denial and pseudoscience. I identify three key contributions. One is that social and behavioral scientists are able to able to analyze motivations and states of mind that contribute to the rejection of mainstream science and acceptance of pseudo-science and false claims. Two, the papers in this volume take a number of informal gleanings and suggestions, and subject them to rigorous and much-needed analysis. Three, the papers clarify that while some people who reject science may suffer pathologies, such as the desire for chaos or the expression of spite, most do not. Targeted interventions that accurately identify the target group are more likely to succeed than “one size fits all” approaches. That said, there is the potential tension between understanding science denial as a manifestation of pain and suffering versus understanding it as a problem of information deficit. The good news is that evidence suggests that most science deniers are not suffering pathologies, and that many people do benefit from good information, presented in engaging ways. Collectively these papers demonstrate that science rejection is a matter of both ignorance and willful rejection, and that both can be addressed, albeit most likely in different ways.