Science Denial

Gale M. Sinatra is the Stephen H. Crocker Professor of Education and Psychology at the Rossier School of Education at the University of Southern California, where she directs the Motivated Change Research Lab. She received her B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in psychology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. She has been recognized by the American Educational Research Association for career achievements in research with the Sylvia Scribner Award. She resides in Altadena, California. Barbara K. Hofer is a Professor of Psychology Emerita at Middlebury College and is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association. She received her Ph.D. in psychology and education from the University of Michigan and an Ed.M. in human development from Harvard University. She is the recipient of national awards for both research and teaching, from the American Educational Research Association and the American Psychological Association. She lives in Middlebury, Vermont.

• PrefaceSection I: Science Denial, Doubt, and Resistance1. What Is the Problem and Why Does It Matter?2. How Do We Make Sense of Science Claims Online?3. What Role Can Science Education Play?Section II: Five Explanations for Science Denial, Doubt, and Resistance4. How Do Cognitive Biases Influence Reasoning?5. How Do Individuals Think About Knowledge and Knowing?6. What Motivates People to Question Science?7. How Do Emotions and Attitudes Influence Science Understanding?8. What Can We Do About Science Denial, Doubt, and Resistance?Index

Science denialism concerns all of us who consider ourselves friends of science, whether we are scientists, philosophers, educators, journalists or policymakers. Science denialism is a complex phenomenon that requires multifaceted measures to counter it. These measures should certainly take into account what psychologists have learned about the cognitive, affective and motivational factors involved in rejecting science. That is why Science denial: Why it happens and what to do about it is an important book.