2022-04-06-皮尤-Black_Americans_Views_of_and_Engagement_With_Science_125页_1mb

Black Americans' Views on Science and Engagement

1. Views on Scientific Research and Medical Scientists

• Black Americans generally express positive views of medical researchers' competence and trust their caring for the public's interests. About 80% have at least a fair amount of confidence in medical scientists.
• However, a majority are concerned about research misconduct, with 61% seeing it as equally likely to occur today as in the past. Only 35% believe current procedures prevent serious misconduct.
• Trust in medical scientists is sharply lower than in groups like business leaders or police officers, reflecting broader societal mistrust. Younger Black adults and those with higher education show slightly stronger trust.
• Historical events like the Tuskegee syphilis study (known by 75% of Black adults) contribute to skepticism. Black Americans who know more about researchers' work tend to view them more positively; 51% of those familiar with their work say scientists do a good job.

2. STEM Fields, Education, and Career Opportunities

• Educational Engagement:

  • Black Americans view achieving Black success in STEM as less common than in other professions like music or law. 36% say Black people have reached the highest levels of success in science.
    Black adults report a mix of positive and negative STEM school experiences:
  • Majority (81%) of Black college graduates working in STEM jobs recall positive classroom experiences, including encouragement and seeing the relevance of STEM for careers.
  • Larger shares (48%) recall negative experiences like mistreatment or microaggressions (e.g., feeling they don’t belong or repeated negative comments about race).
  • Having a same-race high school teacher in STEM (49%) is associated with more positive experiences; 52% of those with a Black teacher report encouragement to continue STEM classes.

• Motivation Factors:

  • Higher education or career opportunities, visible role models (Black examples in STEM), and mentors are seen as crucial for encouraging young Black people to pursue STEM.
  • A 54% majority believe more examples of Black high achievers in STEM would make young Black people significantly more likely to pursue these fields.
  • Institutional Representation: Having Black students in STEM programs (40%) is also seen as influential for attracting young Black students.

3. Health Disparities and Health Care Experiences

• Black Americans attribute health inequities largely to less access to quality care (63%), environmental factors (52%), and systemic barriers (49%). 20% cite inherent biological differences.
• Healthcare Experiences: While most rate recent medical care as good or excellent (61%), 56% have had at least one negative experience, such as being rushed, treated with less respect, or pain being downplayed.
• Preference for Care: 31% prefer Black health care providers, but a majority (64%) have no preference. Among younger Black women, 71% report multiple negative experiences and are more likely to prefer same-race doctors.
• For issues like pain management, 8% said doctors sometimes treat Black patients differently due to bias.

4. Engagement with COVID-19 and Other Science Topics

• During the pandemic, 60% talked about COVID-19 multiple times a week. 57% saw news about it on social media, and 58% indicated their local community had public events related to the outbreak.
• Who they trust: Black Americans rely most on experts (73%) for COVID information, followed by family/friends (57%) and media focused on Black audiences (52%) among those surveyed.
• Key challenges: Conflicting information (52%) and** political disagreements** (68%) in science discussions lead to confusion and frustration. Engagement varies by education: college graduates are more knowledgeable and more frequently engaged in science discussions and information sources.

Engagement Factors: Younger Black adults are more likely to engage with science news, social media, and discussions on COVID-19. Representation in media and institutional outreach were seen as critical to increasing trust.
Black college graduates in STEM fields are particularly likely to have faced discrimination in education, alongside those reporting lack of role models or mentors.