When Science Becomes Embroiled in Conflict: Recognizing the Public’s Need for Debate while Combating Conspiracies and Misinformation

• DOI: 10.1177/00027162221084663
• Published date: 01 March 2022
• Date: 01 March 2022
• Subject Matter: Politicization

26 ANNALS, AAPSS, 700, March 2022

DOI: 10.1177/00027162221084663

When Science

Becomes

Embroiled in

Conflict:

Recognizing the

Public’s Need

for Debate while

Combating

Conspiracies

and

Misinformation

By

STEPHAN LEWANDOWSKY,

KONSTANTINOS ARMAOS,

HENDRIK BRUNS,

PHILIPP SCHMID,

DAWN LIU HOLFORD,

ULRIKE HAHN,

AHMED AL-RAWI,

SUNITA SAH,

and

JOHN COOK

1084663ANN THE ANNALS OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMYSCIENCE IN CONFLICT

research-article2022

We explore the common attributes of political conflicts

in which scientific findings have a central role, using

the COVID-19 pandemic as a case study, but also draw-

ing on long-standing conflicts over climate change and

vaccinations. We analyze situations in which the sys-

tematic spread of disinformation or conspiracy theories

undermines public trust in the work of scientists and

prevents policy from being informed by the best avail-

able evidence. We also examine instances in which

public opposition to scientifically grounded policy

arises from legitimate value judgments and lived expe-

rience. We argue for the public benefit of quick identi-

fication of politically motivated science denial, and

inoculation of the public against its ill effects.

Keywords: COVID-19; misinformation; conspiracy

theories; climate change; science denial;

public health; scientific evidence; vaccine

hesitancy

When scientists discover a planet in our

Milky Way that is made of diamonds

(Bailes et al. 2011), public fascination and

admiration are virtually assured. Who would

not revel in the idea that we might spot a par-

ticularly bright sparkle in the night sky?

However, when scientists discover that burning

Stephan Lewandowsky is a cognitive scientist at the

University of Bristol. His research focuses on people’s

responses to misinformation and the potential tension

between online technology and democracy.

Konstantinos Armaos is a PhD candidate at the

University of Lausanne. His dissertation is on the cog-

nitive and motivational aspects of identity processes,

with a special focus on motivated beliefs related to cli-

mate change, COVID-19, and intergroup bias.

Hendrik Bruns is a policy analyst at the European

Commission Joint Research Centre (JRC). He tries to

understand individual behavior and attitudes relating

to climate, energy, and the environment and to apply

behavioral interventions to motivate proenvironmental

behavior and to reduce the spread of misinformation.

Correspondence: stephan.lewandowsky@bristol.ac.uk