Cancer, Covid and Climate Change: On the Robustness of Trust in Science in a World of Crises

Abstract

In this paper, we examine trust as a psychosocial phenomenon with the aim of understanding factors that influence individuals’ and populations’ trust in science. We show that trust in scientific experts is an implicit prerequisite for many daily deeds performed by modern human beings through a systemoriented analysis. However, this trust cannot be taken for granted, and factors like the personal experiences and values of individuals impact their trust in scientific experts’ use and/or communication of knowledge. In order to discuss these factors in more practical settings, we relate them to the three dimensions ability, benevolence and integrity, which, according to Mayer, Davis and Schoorman’s (1995) model of trust, are essential when an actor is perceived as trustworthy. By using the three dimensions to strengthen our analysis, we examine the socio-technological controversy over HPV vaccination in Denmark. We conclude that even though controversies might imply a decrease in trust in some parts of science among some parts of the population, they also have the potential to promote public support of scientific experts as they endeavour to tackle contemporary crises like cancer, Covid and climate change.