Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41361089›Full record

ArticleNature human behaviour2026

Representation in science and trust in scientists in the USA.

James N Druckman, Katherine Ognyanova, Alauna Safarpour, Jonathan Schulman, Kristin Lunz Trujillo, Ata Aydin Uslu, Jon Green, Matthew A Baum, Alexi Quintana-Mathé, Hong Qu and 2 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Nature human behaviour, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

James N DruckmanDepartment of Political Science, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA. jdruckma@ur.rochester.edu.ORCID 0000-0002-1249-6790
Katherine OgnyanovaDepartment of Communication, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-3038-7077
Alauna SafarpourDepartment of Political Science, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, PA, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-5754-7929
Jonathan SchulmanPew Research Center, Washington DC, USA.
Kristin Lunz TrujilloDepartment of Political Science, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA.
Ata Aydin UsluNetwork Science Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID 0009-0004-4920-0705
Jon GreenDepartment of Political Science, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Matthew A BaumJohn F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
Alexi Quintana-MathéNetwork Science Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-7315-9480
Hong QuNetwork Science Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.
Roy H PerlisCenter for Quantitative Health, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
David M J LazerNetwork Science Institute, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Scientists provide important information to the public. Whether that information influences decision-making depends on trust. In the USA, gaps in trust in scientists have been stable for 50 years: women, Black people, rural residents, religious people, less educated people and people with lower economic status express less trust than their counterparts (who are more represented among scientists). Here we probe the factors that influence trust. We find that members of the less trusting groups exhibit greater trust in scientists who share their characteristics (for example, women trust women scientists more than men scientists). They view such scientists as having more benevolence and, in most cases, more integrity. In contrast, those from high-trusting groups appear mostly indifferent about scientists' characteristics. Our results highlight how increasing the presence of underrepresented groups among scientists can increase trust. This means expanding representation across several divides-not just gender and race/ethnicity but also rurality and economic status.

Indexed as

Research PersonnelScienceTrustAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSex FactorsUnited States

Identifiers

PMID41361089

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.