Journal of Social Issues最新文献

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

IF 4 1区社会学

Journal of Social Issues Pub Date : 2025-04-23 DOI: 10.1111/josi.70007

Naomi Oreskes

{"title":"The Impact of Science Denial and Pseudoscience on the Behavioral and Social Sciences","authors":"Naomi Oreskes","doi":"10.1111/josi.70007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.70007","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>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.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":17008,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Issues","volume":"81 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-04-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143865611","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Institutionalized Misinformation in US Education: Combatting the Overselling of Learning Styles and Underselling of Spaced Effort

IF 4 1区社会学

Journal of Social Issues Pub Date : 2025-03-27 DOI: 10.1111/josi.70005

Anne M. Cleary, Daniel H. Robinson

{"title":"Institutionalized Misinformation in US Education: Combatting the Overselling of Learning Styles and Underselling of Spaced Effort","authors":"Anne M. Cleary, Daniel H. Robinson","doi":"10.1111/josi.70005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.70005","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Similar to medicine and climate science, education suffers from the spread of misinformation in the United States. Learning styles are an approach that, despite being shown to be <i>ineffective</i> at benefiting learning, is oversold in education, continuing to be extensively implemented, institutionalized, and widely believed to benefit learning. At the same time, over a century of rigorous experimental evidence indicates the effectiveness of spaced learning efforts for enhancing memory retention, skill acquisition, and coming to new understandings in the learning process, yet spacing is undersold in US education. We suggest that research on misinformation spread, pseudoscience, and science denial in domains like vaccines and climate change is relevant to misinformation spread regarding learning styles. We further suggest that the misinformation literature could inform the development of methods for decreasing the spread of misinformation concerning learning styles while increasing the spread of accurate information about spacing's benefits. These efforts could help to accelerate the rate at which the integration of new developments across disciplines can pave the way for a better integration of rigorous experimental science and policy and practice in US education.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":17008,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Issues","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143707576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

“Transforming the World”: Using Research to Learn From Activists

IF 4 1区社会学

Journal of Social Issues Pub Date : 2025-03-16 DOI: 10.1111/josi.70003

Abigail J. Stewart

引用次数: 0

Danger of Misinformation and Science Denial: Background, Modern Examples, Future Action

IF 4 1区社会学

Journal of Social Issues Pub Date : 2025-03-16 DOI: 10.1111/josi.70006

Jennifer J. Harman, Demosthenes Lorandos, Alissa Sherry, Michelle R. Kaufman

引用次数: 0

Belief in Science-Related Conspiracy Theories

IF 4 1区社会学

Journal of Social Issues Pub Date : 2025-03-16 DOI: 10.1111/josi.70004

Shane Littrell, Amanda Diekman, Michelle Seelig, Kamal Premaratne, Stefan Wuchty, Daniel Verdear, Casey A. Klofstad, Joseph Uscinski

{"title":"Belief in Science-Related Conspiracy Theories","authors":"Shane Littrell, Amanda Diekman, Michelle Seelig, Kamal Premaratne, Stefan Wuchty, Daniel Verdear, Casey A. Klofstad, Joseph Uscinski","doi":"10.1111/josi.70004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.70004","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Conspiracy theories attempt to explain events and circumstances by attributing them to the supposed secret actions of powerful, malevolent groups. Due to their associations with potentially harmful non-normative behaviors at both the individual and collective levels, researchers have expressed particular concern over conspiracy theories that malign science. To better understand such beliefs, we conducted a national US survey to gauge respondents’ agreement with 11 science-related conspiracy theories and their political, psychological, and social characteristics. We find that beliefs in specific science-related conspiracy theories represent two unique factors that are (i) related to non-normative behaviors including political violence, vaccine refusal, and sharing false information online, and (ii) undergirded by a range of non-normative personality traits and attitudes. We conclude by discussing the potential role of political leaders in propagating science-related conspiracy theories and the implications for preventing or reversing science-related conspiracy theory beliefs.</p>","PeriodicalId":17008,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Issues","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-03-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/josi.70004","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143632678","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Reducing Climate Change Denial and Increasing Support for Climate-Friendly Policies: The Role of Climate Change Education 减少对气候变化的否认，增加对气候友好型政策的支持：气候变化教育的作用

IF 4 1区社会学

Journal of Social Issues Pub Date : 2025-02-25 DOI: 10.1111/josi.12664

Sheri R. Levy, Caitlin Monahan, Ashley Araiza, Luisa Ramırez, Ximena Palacios-Espinosa

{"title":"Reducing Climate Change Denial and Increasing Support for Climate-Friendly Policies: The Role of Climate Change Education","authors":"Sheri R. Levy, Caitlin Monahan, Ashley Araiza, Luisa Ramırez, Ximena Palacios-Espinosa","doi":"10.1111/josi.12664","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12664","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Insufficient US public education and misinformation from other sources contribute to climate change (CC) denial. Public US university students in the South (Study 1) and Northeast (Studies 1 and 2) were randomly assigned to watch two educational science videos on CC (experimental condition) or flu viruses (control condition). Experimental (vs. control) condition participants reported (a) less agreement with statements reflecting CC denial (immediate post-test [Studies 1 and 2] and delayed post-test [Study 2]); (b) greater agreement with statements about the existence, seriousness, and human causes of CC and hope for CC interventions (immediate post-test [Studies 1 and 2]); (c) greater intentions to support climate-friendly US policies (immediate post-test [Study 1]); and (d) less negative feelings about CC (delayed post-test [Study 2]), when controlling for gender and political leaning. Implications for effectively addressing CC education among university students with relatively easy-to-implement, time-efficient, and cost-effective interventions are discussed.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":17008,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Issues","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143489898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

High Cost of Scientific Ignorance: A Conceptual Foundation for Scientific Literacy in the Courts

IF 4 1区社会学

Journal of Social Issues Pub Date : 2025-02-23 DOI: 10.1111/josi.70001

Sharon Mason, Demosthenes Lorandos

{"title":"High Cost of Scientific Ignorance: A Conceptual Foundation for Scientific Literacy in the Courts","authors":"Sharon Mason, Demosthenes Lorandos","doi":"10.1111/josi.70001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.70001","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This paper examines the failure of <i>Daubert</i>, using analysis from case law, legal scholarship, social psychology, and the philosophy of science to map out the scope of the problem. Next, it provides a diagnostic situated within recent work in social epistemology that highlights structural challenges in the contemporary epistemic landscape. Although the problem of the misuse of science in the courtroom has many different dimensions, one underexplored facet is the courtroom as an instance of broader structural problems in the management of authority, ignorance, and expertise. Building on this analysis, the authors identify five key scientific concepts: (1) the source of scientific authority is derived from consensus within a critical community; (2) falsification, rather than confirmation, is a primary methodological commitment; (3) uncertainty and ignorance in scientific inquiry can managed, but not eliminated; (4) there is a difference between performative, disingenuous pseudoskepticism and a skeptical, critical perspective; and (5) one should be able to recognize genuine scientific expertise and should defer to that expertise. These five foundational ideas provide a conceptual footing for scientific literacy within courtrooms and a basis for educating legal professionals.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":17008,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Issues","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143475340","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Narcissism of Science Denial

IF 4 1区社会学

Journal of Social Issues Pub Date : 2025-02-18 DOI: 10.1111/josi.70000

Agnieszka Golec de Zavala

{"title":"Narcissism of Science Denial","authors":"Agnieszka Golec de Zavala","doi":"10.1111/josi.70000","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.70000","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Amid historically low societal trust in science, four cross-sectional studies (<i>N</i> = 3856) reveal a link between generic science denial and national narcissism. The findings support the pre-registered hypotheses that (1) national narcissism (a desire for national recognition) and ingroup satisfaction (pride in national value) have opposite unique associations with science denial (rejection of scientific consensus and generalized suspicion toward scientific experts) and (2) opposite indirect associations with specific outcomes of science denial during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond (climate change denial, anti-vaccination attitude, and support for unregulated “alternative” medicine). After their common variance is controlled, national narcissism is positively associated with generic science denial and its outcomes, while national ingroup satisfaction is associated negatively. National narcissism was the strongest predictor of science denial, surpassing other established predictors such as low education and political conservatism. Studies 1 and 2 showed additionally, that vulnerable narcissistic personality was the second strongest predictor of generic science denial, demonstrating for the first time, that the narcissistic need to be recognized as better than others underlies generic science denial.</p>","PeriodicalId":17008,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Issues","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/josi.70000","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143439025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Reveling in Mayhem: The Need for Chaos in Pandemic Psychology

IF 4 1区社会学

Journal of Social Issues Pub Date : 2025-02-18 DOI: 10.1111/josi.12661

Raihan Alam, Joseph A. Vitriol

{"title":"Reveling in Mayhem: The Need for Chaos in Pandemic Psychology","authors":"Raihan Alam, Joseph A. Vitriol","doi":"10.1111/josi.12661","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12661","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The COVID-19 pandemic is a critical challenge to public health, with authorities emphasizing the importance of measures like vaccination to curb its spread. Yet, pandemic misperceptions, including distrust in scientists and conspiratorial beliefs about the disease, pose significant barriers to these efforts. Amid the turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic, that is, there are some who revel in mayhem. Our research investigates the need for chaos (NFC)—the drive to disrupt societal institutions—as a predictor of pandemic misperceptions. In an online sample (<i>N</i> = 1079 individuals), we found that those high in the NFC are also more anti-intellectual, less cognitively sophisticated, more prone to conspiratorial thinking, including about COVID-19, and reported reduced willingness to engage in other forms of disease mitigation, such as vaccination and social distancing. These observations emerged while controlling for ideology and other psychological, political, and demographic variables. We also find evidence that the relationships between NFC and COVID-19-specific behaviors may be explained by greater endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy theories (CTs). We consider the implications of these findings for a scientific understanding of pandemic psychology, political misperceptions, and the challenges that surround effective disease mitigation and other issues concerning public health.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":17008,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Issues","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143439022","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0

Psychological Distance to Science Affects Science Evaluations

IF 4 1区社会学

Journal of Social Issues Pub Date : 2025-02-18 DOI: 10.1111/josi.12663

Bojana Većkalov, Natalia Zarzeczna, Frenk van Harreveld, Bastiaan T. Rutjens

{"title":"Psychological Distance to Science Affects Science Evaluations","authors":"Bojana Većkalov, Natalia Zarzeczna, Frenk van Harreveld, Bastiaan T. Rutjens","doi":"10.1111/josi.12663","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/josi.12663","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In four experiments (three preregistered; <i>N<sub>total</sub></i> = 4511), we investigated the influence of psychological distance to science (PSYDISC) on science evaluations. PSYDISC reflects the extent to which science is perceived as an (in)tangible undertaking conducted by people (dis)similar to oneself (<i>social</i>), with effects in the here (far away; <i>spatial</i>) and now (in the distant future; <i>temporal</i>), and as (un)useful and (in)applicable in the real world (<i>hypothetical distance</i>). In Study 1, framing the science of nanotechnology/genetic modification (GM) of food as psychologically close (vs. distant) lowered science skepticism. For GM science, we also found that psychological closeness increases perceived credibility and fosters more positive attitudes toward GM science. In a high-powered replication for GM science (Study 2), we replicated the effects on attitude positivity and skepticism (but not credibility). Closely framed GM science was perceived as more personally relevant (Studies 3 and 4), which increased perceptions of credibility and attitude positivity, and reduced skepticism (Study 4). An internal meta-analysis (Studies 1, 2, and 4) corroborated the main effects of PSYDISC on science evaluations. In sum, the current work provides evidence for a malleable antecedent of science evaluations—PSYDISC—that can be utilized to increase science acceptance.</p>","PeriodicalId":17008,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Social Issues","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/josi.12663","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143439024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

引用次数: 0