Sturgis, P and Allum, N (2004) 'Science in society: Re-evaluating the deficit model of public attitudes.' Public Understanding of Science, 13 (1). 55 - 74. ISSN 0963-6625

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Abstract

The "deficit model" of public attitudes towards science has led to controversy over the role of scientific knowledge in explaining lay people's attitudes towards science. In this paper we challenge the de facto orthodoxy that has connected the deficit model and contextualist perspectives with quantitative and qualitative research methods respectively. We simultaneously test hypotheses from both theoretical approaches using quantitative methodology. The results point to the clear importance of knowledge as a determinant of attitudes toward science. However, in contrast to the rather simplistic deficit model that has traditionally characterized discussions of this relationship, this analysis highlights the complex and interacting nature of the knowledge-attitude interface.

Item Type:	Article
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology
Divisions:	Faculty of Social Sciences > Sociology, Department of
Depositing User:	Elena Pupaza
Date Deposited:	16 Jul 2014 14:21
Last Modified:	30 Nov 2017 15:16
URI:	http://repository.essex.ac.uk/id/eprint/9772

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