New Zealanders' attitudes
What do we know about New Zealanders' attitudes to science and technology?
(Skip to the 2005 Research below)
In 2001 MoRST commissioned research into the attitudes of New Zealanders to science.
Read the Commonsense, trust and science report
This research identified six different segments each with a distinct profile of attitudes and beliefs about science. (A more detailed explanation is on p45 of the report.)
Segment One
25% of the respondents have a high level of intrinsic interest in science. They are the most highly educated and remunerated group, with an appreciation of the benefits science brings to society. Their theoretical understanding of science is somewhat better than that of other segments. They are a gender-balanced group.
Segment Two
18% of respondents who are interested in and appreciate the benefits of science and technology, but are concerned about its consequences. They consider it important that controls are kept on science. With average levels of education, their view of science is somewhat naïve. The group shows a small female bias.
Segment Three
The research revealed an interesting group, which did not appear in similar research in the UK. They make up 16% of respondents and are a well educated and remunerated group with a small male bias. They are likely to be in business roles, and nearly a quarter of the group have had formal science training. They show less interest in science and a lower level of expressed appreciation of the benefits of science and technology than other segments. They question the level of research being done in New Zealand but do not see a need for government control of science.
Segment Four
14% of the respondents believe that science is out of control, and that the government needs to keep control. They do not have a strong appreciation of science’s role in achieving economic success. They put faith in ‘common sense’, which can be a barrier to understanding the complexities of the scientific world. This group has a small female bias and lower levels of income.
Segment Five
A younger segment (14%), who have an interest in new technologies but their understanding of science is relatively unsophisticated. This segment has a male bias, and students and those in semi-skilled occupations predominate. They are less likely to see a need for control over scientists.
Segment Six
13% of the respondents do not understand the complexities of new science and technology areas, nor are they interested in learning about them. They tend to be older than the average, less well educated and with the lowest levels of Internet access. They strongly disagree with anything that interferes with nature, such as cloning. There is a strong female bias in this group and many are retired.
The Science in Society work programme looks to develop the appropriate communication processes for the different audiences so that New Zealanders have trust and confidence in science and technology.
Science and the General Public in 2005
In 2005 MoRST updated the quantitative research from the 2002 research. Many of the same questions were used to give some continuity of data and some new ones were added in.
Science and the General Public in 2005 report