Political parties, populism, and people's attitude towards science: A quantitative study looking at the effects of anti-science sentiment of political parties on citizens' attitude towards science and scientific knowledge

In today's increasingly globalized world, the proliferation of information has made distinguishing between true and false claims a difficult and complex task. The prevalence of political parties advocating their own versions of truth further exacerbates this challenge. This research explores the effect of anti-science sentiment from political parties on individuals' acceptance of scientific claims and trust in science. Additionally, it investigates whether this effect is more pronounced when associated with populist parties. A survey vignette experiment, utilizing a within- and between-subject design, was conducted in the Netherlands to examine the influence of anti-science sentiment of political parties on individuals. The results indicate that the anti-science sentiment of political parties does indeed impact citizens' trust in science and their willingness to accept scientific claims. Notably, tweets from the VVD were found to influence people's likelihood to reject scientific claims, while other political parties did not exert a similar influence. Interestingly, both positive and negative sentiments from political parties had a significantly negative effect on people's trust in science, with the negative sentiment having a slightly stronger impact. Moreover, party cueing was not found to have a significant effect on the influence of anti-science sentiment on individuals. Also, people who identified themselves with populist parties also were not significantly affected. This research sheds light on the critical role that political parties play in shaping public attitudes towards science and emphasizes the importance of discerning reliable information in an era of increasing misinformation. Further investigation into the dynamics of political party influence on science perception can aid in developing strategies to bolster trust in scientific evidence and promote informed decision-making in society.