24 January 2023 – Public Perception of Genetics

A survey of over 2000 British adults finds that trust in genetics is high and went up significantly during the pandemic. It also finds that there is a hunger for more coverage of genetics.

In a study funded by the Genetics Society, a survey of over 2000 randomly selected British adults was commissioned through public polling company Kantar Public.

You can download the report on the public perception of genetics here and can find the technical report here.

Main conclusions of the survey:

1. More than a third of the UK public report an increase in trust in science through the pandemic

2. In particular, attitudes to genetics have become more positive

3. Nearly a half of the UK public would like to hear more about science in the media (and fewer than 10% think there is too much science)

4. University academics, NHS spokespersons and governmental advisors are all well trusted sources.

The survey also led to a research paper in Plos Biology titled “People with more extreme attitudes towards science have self-confidence in their understanding of science, even if this is not justified”.