Dr. Niels G. Mede

Science Communication Researcher

Who supports science-related populism? A nationally representative survey on the prevalence and explanatory factors of populist attitudes toward science in Switzerland


Journal article


Niels G. Mede, Mike S. Schäfer, Julia Metag, Kira Klinger
PLoS one, 2022


Cite

Cite

APA   Click to copy
Mede, N. G., Schäfer, M. S., Metag, J., & Klinger, K. (2022). Who supports science-related populism? A nationally representative survey on the prevalence and explanatory factors of populist attitudes toward science in Switzerland. PLoS One. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0271204


Chicago/Turabian   Click to copy
Mede, Niels G., Mike S. Schäfer, Julia Metag, and Kira Klinger. “Who Supports Science-Related Populism? A Nationally Representative Survey on the Prevalence and Explanatory Factors of Populist Attitudes toward Science in Switzerland.” PLoS one (2022).


MLA   Click to copy
Mede, Niels G., et al. “Who Supports Science-Related Populism? A Nationally Representative Survey on the Prevalence and Explanatory Factors of Populist Attitudes toward Science in Switzerland.” PLoS One, 2022, doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0271204.


BibTeX   Click to copy

@article{mede2022a,
  title = {Who supports science-related populism? A nationally representative survey on the prevalence and explanatory factors of populist attitudes toward science in Switzerland},
  year = {2022},
  journal = {PLoS one},
  doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0271204},
  author = {Mede, Niels G. and Schäfer, Mike S. and Metag, Julia and Klinger, Kira}
}

Science and its epistemology have been challenged by science-related populism—a variant of populism suggesting that a virtuous “ordinary people,” and not allegedly corrupt academic elites, should determine the “production of truth.” Yet almost no studies have assessed the prevalence of science-related populist attitudes among the population and explanatory factors thereof. Based on a nationally representative survey in Switzerland, our study shows that only a minority of the Swiss exhibit science-related populist attitudes. Comparisons with reference studies suggest that these attitudes may be less prevalent in Switzerland than political populist attitudes. Those who hold stronger science-related populist attitudes tend to have no university education, less personal contact with science, lower scientific literacy, and higher interest in science. Additional analyses show that left-leaning citizens are less likely to hold science-related populist attitudes than moderate and right-leaning citizens. Our findings contribute to current debates about a potential fragmentation of science communication audiences and call for further research on the sociodemographic and attitudinal profiles of people with skeptical orientations toward science.