Science Denial: Why It Happens and What to Do About It by Gale Sinatra (PDF)

Description

How do individuals decide whether to accept human causes of climate change, vaccinate their children against childhood diseases, or practice social distancing during a pandemic? Democracies depend on educated citizens who can make informed decisions for the benefit of their health and well-being, as well as their communities, nations, and planet. Understanding key psychological explanations for science denial and doubt can help provide a means for improving scientific literacy and understandingcritically important at a time when denial has become deadly. In Science Denial: Why It Happens and What to Do About It, the authors identify the problem and why it matters and offer tools for addressing it. This book explains both the importance of science education and its limitations, shows how science communicators may inadvertently contribute to the problem, and explains how the internet and social media foster misinformation and disinformation. The authors focus on key psychological constructs such as reasoning biases, social identity, epistemic cognition, and emotions and attitudes that limit or facilitate public understanding of science, and describe solutions for individuals, educators, science communicators, and policy makers. If you have ever wondered why science denial exists, want to know how to understand your own biases and those of others, and would like to address the problem, this book will provide the insights you are seeking.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Why do people decline a free vaccine that will protect them against a deadly illness? Why do people continue to question climate change when the vast majority of experts agree it is happening? How do educated people somehow misread the scientific evidence and ignore medical professionals, leading to measles outbreaks? The answers to these questions are complex and thankfully two renowned experts in the field, Drs. Gale Sinatra and Barbara Hofer, wrote a book that clearly and understandably describes not only the causes of science denial, but also specific actions that educators, policy-makers, and science communicators can take to address it. It would be easy to dismiss science denial as simple ignorance, but Drs. Sinatra and Hofer convincingly argue that people engage in this kind of thinking for a variety of reasons and that it is only through understanding these reasons that we can hope to help people better understand and embrace science. The book is engaging and thought-provoking, with great examples and clear guidance. It is a must-read for anyone that cares about the health of our citizens and the future of our world!

⭐The authors’ expertise in psychology and education provides a useful perspective on this topic, in a well-researched, well-written book accessible to the general audience. It is a good starting point. I especially appreciated the chapters’ ending sections “What can we do?” with subsections for Individuals, Educators, Science Communicators and Policy Makers.

⭐The authors wrote well, gave great examples, cited a lot of research, and even concluded each chapter with what different groups can do about the problem: policy makers, educators, scientists/science writers, and individuals.My one complaint would be that it’s a lot to digest. It didn’t seem to be broken down into a few key points that were emphasized over and over. I’m not sure how much I retained. I’d probably have to read it a few times to absorb it all.

⭐Good book, ironically the people that will read it are not the people that would benefit from it.

⭐Highly readable, well organized, practical guide for dealing with the misinformed. Makes me better realize the complexity and challenges of dealing with this issue.

⭐A timely book which is very readable and confirming and helpful for non-scientific types such as me. I already know three people I’m recommending it to — my daughter, my daughter-in-law, both of whom are science educators, and my teenage grandson who is heading in that direction. The book is persuasive in explaining in a down to earth way how necessary science is in guiding us through the complications we are having to confront these days.

⭐A colleague and I are preparing a series of presentations on the evolution of culture through stories and how these stories persist to skew our attitudes toward modern science. This book is a perfect ancillary for our presentations.

⭐This manuscript gives practical advice to members of the community who are interested, genuinely, in delivering helpful commentary to science deniers. Bravo!

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