The firm Gece published this Tuesday the results of its survey conducted with more than 3200 French people, for France info, The cross and Universcience, exploring the relationship maintained by our fellow citizens with science and scientists. There emerges an impression of skepticism.
The survey is intended as a Study on the development of the critical spirit of the French in 2021, as its title announces, in the context of the pandemic. Led by Gece for franceinfo, The cross and Universcience – the public establishment bringing together the City of Science and Industry – which published it on Tuesday, it captures the look that our compatriots pose on science but also scientists. What emerges is a curious mixture of skepticism with regard to this field and confidence placed in its professionals.
A scientific fact is only a fact for 27% of French people
This “Barometer of the Critical Spirit” has therefore sought to explore the relationship nurtured by the French with regard to science, its practitioners and researchers. Thus, they are 53% to believe that “scientific theories are only hypotheses among others”. Opposite this contingent, there are only 36% of resolute supporters of the avenues opened up by science.
However, from a scientific point of view itself, a “theory” is not a fact. That’s why the pollster also asked the French if they thought a “scientific fact” could not be “discussed or debated.” Only 27% of the panel members said that a scientific fact could not be called into question, compared to 65% against such an impossibility.
However, for 43% of French people, science is “independent in validating its discoveries”, against 40% of opponents. “Is science the only reliable source of knowledge about the world?” 41% of respondents think so in any case, unlike an almost equal number of respondents (40%). As for knowing whether science should “doubt what has not yet been proven or verified”, they are 81% to take up this assertion on their account.
The French trust their doctors
The Gece firm also questioned the human factor. It appears here that among the scientific professions, it is the doctors who inspire the greatest confidence in the French. 51% of our compatriots say they grant it to all or most of them. Total which is still growing from 38% declaring to rely at least on “some”. 44% of French people have confidence in researchers and scientists, 40% in only a few of them.
It is certainly not quite a plebiscite but the picture is more flattering than the perception sent back to other categories. They are, for example, 9% to trust all politicians or most of them, 36% to count theirs to some of them, and a tidal wave of 50% to say that they cannot rely on “none” of these officials.
It must be recognized that the popularity of journalists is not very cheerful either: 15% of those polled give them a lot of credit, and 51% agree to place their trust in certain people. 29%, on the other hand, reject them altogether.
Audiovisual, the first source of information for the French
The issue of sources of information then arises. Despite the distrust displayed towards the press, it appears that it is indeed the media – especially audiovisual – that remain the main supplier of the French in this area. They are indeed 42% to quote the radio and television newspapers, 44% the specialized documentaries and 27% the scientific sites.
Finally, 81% of respondents claim to “take into account as many opinions as possible” before forming their own. 51% of respondents say they “prefer to discuss with people who have opinions different from their own”, while 46% admit the opposite.
Survey conducted from February 17 to 28 with 3,218 people constituting a representative sample of the French population. The quota method was applied.
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