Observational analysis shows psychological factors enhance trust in science, highlighting roles of free will and personality traits.
Previous studies have examined different variables related to trust in science and associated trust in science with personal or psychological variables. In this study, we assessed the role of personal agency beliefs (free will, scientific determinism, fatalistic determinism, and unpredictability) and personality traits, focusing on the psychological underpinnings of trust in science. The study, which was conducted with 1019 individuals from a Turkish sample, revealed that psychological factors were more strongly predictive of trust in science than demographic factors. The results showed that free will and scientific determinism were associated with trust in science. In addition, individuals with conscientious personality traits were found to have higher confidence in science. By emphasizing the role of psychological factors, our study reveals the importance of supporting the relationship between science and society with more comprehensive research in the future.
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Küçükaydın et al. (2025) studied this question.
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