Mind the gap: Socioeconomic status may influence understanding of science

A new study shows the public's understanding of scientific topics varies by socioeconomic group. Above, senior research specialist Yingnan Yin examines stem cell cultures in a lab at the Waisman Center. Photo: Jeff Miller When it comes to science, socioeconomic status may widen confidence gaps among the least and most educated groups in society, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Science, Media and the Public research group. The findings, published in June Communication , show that similar levels of attention to science in newspapers and on blogs can lead to vastly different levels of factual and perceived knowledge between the two groups. Notably, frequent science blog readership among low socioeconomic-status groups actually lowered their scores on factual tests of scientific knowledge while high levels of attention to science in newspapers caused them to feel they were less knowledgeable compared to those who read less or those from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. "Just putting more science in front of less-educated people may.. confuse them rather than help them grasp complex science." Dominique Brossard "The science section of The New York Times is not written for audiences with little or no prior knowledge of science and technology," explains study co-author Dominique Brossard , professor and chair in the Department of Life Sciences Communication.