Willingness to participate in medical research: Unraveling the roles of scientific literacy and beliefs about medical researchers.

IF 4.3 2区文学 Q1 COMMUNICATION

Public Understanding of Science Pub Date : 2026-06-23 DOI:10.1177/09636625261452154

Martin Sedlár, Matúš Grežo

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study examines how scientific literacy dimensions-nature of science understanding, scientific reasoning, positive beliefs about science, and interest in science-are related to willingness to participate in medical research, mediated by conspiracy beliefs about and trust in medical researchers. Survey data were collected from a sample of 600 Slovaks recruited via an online panel. Regression-based mediation analysis revealed that positive beliefs about science and interest in science exhibited total and indirect associations with willingness to participate in medical research. By contrast, nature of science understanding and scientific reasoning were related to willingness to participate in medical research only indirectly. The indirect pathways of all scientific literacy dimensions operated through conspiracy beliefs about and trust in medical researchers, with trust showing the strongest positive association with willingness to participate in medical research. These findings highlight that the association between scientific literacy and willingness to participate in medical research is rather complex, mediated by beliefs about medical researchers. Addressing these beliefs alongside scientific literacy promotion may enhance public willingness to participate in medical research.

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参与医学研究的意愿：揭示科学素养的作用和对医学研究人员的信念。

本研究考察了科学素养维度——科学理解的本质、科学推理、对科学的积极信念和对科学的兴趣——在对医学研究人员的阴谋信念和信任的介导下如何与参与医学研究的意愿相关。调查数据是从600名斯洛伐克人通过在线小组招募的样本中收集的。基于回归的中介分析显示，对科学的积极信念和对科学的兴趣与参与医学研究的意愿表现出完全和间接的关联。相比之下，科学理解和科学推理的性质与参与医学研究的意愿仅间接相关。所有科学素养维度的间接途径都是通过对医学研究人员的阴谋信念和信任来运作的，信任与参与医学研究的意愿表现出最强的正相关。这些发现突出表明，科学素养与参与医学研究的意愿之间的关系相当复杂，并受到对医学研究人员的信念的影响。在促进科学素养的同时处理这些信念可能会增强公众参与医学研究的意愿。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Public Understanding of Science Multiple-

CiteScore

7.30

自引率

9.80%

发文量

期刊介绍： Public Understanding of Science is a fully peer reviewed international journal covering all aspects of the inter-relationships between science (including technology and medicine) and the public. Public Understanding of Science is the only journal to cover all aspects of the inter-relationships between science (including technology and medicine) and the public. Topics Covered Include... ·surveys of public understanding and attitudes towards science and technology ·perceptions of science ·popular representations of science ·scientific and para-scientific belief systems ·science in schools