Ipsos MORI presented findings from Public Attitudes to Science (PAS) 2011 and its other research on science issues at the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) Symposium on Public Engagement, part of the 2012 BPS Winter Meeting. PAS 2011 was a study conducted on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. This session focused on the segmentation model that groups the UK public into six segments based on their views on science.

1. Version 1 | Public
Walk a mile in their shoes
Learning from Public Attitudes to Science 2011
Jayesh Navin Shah December 2012
© Ipsos MORI Version 1 | Public

2. What is this session about?
• Ipsos MORI conducted the Public Attitudes to Science 2011 study
for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)
• This study created a segmentation model based on the UK
public’s attitudes to science, scientists and science policy
• This session will cover three things
1. Introducing the idea of segmenting your audience
when discussing your research
2. Looking in depth at the Public Attitudes to Science
2011 segmentation model
3. Discussing how you can use this segmentation
model to help engage the public with your research
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3. What is segmentation?
Face-to-face survey (October-December 2010)
• Representative sample of 2,103 UK adults
• Questionnaire includes 77 attitudinal statements
Factor analysis Cluster analysis Six segments
• Combines 77 Groups respondents Interpreted based on
attitudinal statements who have similar the survey data and
into 15 factors scores for each qualitative research
• These factors showing factor into segments
underlying attitudes
Qualitative research (Autumn 2010 and February 2011)
• 4 general public dialogue workshops across UK
• 4 discussion groups in London and Huntingdon recruited by segment
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4. Mythbusting
What does the public really think about
science and scientists?
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5. The UK public is increasingly interested in science …
Q. For each of the statements, please could you tell me the extent to which
you agree or disagree?
% Agree science is such a big part of our lives we should all take an interest
% Agree it is important to know about science in my daily life
100%
100%
79 82
73
75%
75%
70 67
50% 59
50% 62
25%
25%
0%
0%
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Base: c.2,000 UK adults aged 16+ for each year
Source: BIS Public Attitudes to Science studies
Fieldwork dates for Public Attitudes to Science 2011: 11 October-19 December 2010
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6. … and scientists are amongst the most trusted professions …
Q. Now I will read you a list of different types of people. For each would
you tell me if you generally trust them to tell the truth, or not?
% tell the truth
% not tell the truth
81 88
62 63 68 71 72 74
47 55
29 34 39
14 17 19
16 17 14 9 8 6
39 32 27 27 24
59 40
74 73 70
Base: 1,026 British adults aged 15+
Source: Ipsos MORI/BMA Trust in Professions survey
Fieldwork dates: 10 to 16 June 2011
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7. … but public engagement with science is still essential
“When we don’t know much about
scientists, we get the impression they
are airy-fairy, head in the clouds.”
PAS 2011 workshop participant
51%
Think they hear and see too little
information about science these days
Base: 2,103 UK adults aged 16+
Fieldwork dates: 11 October-19 December 2010 Source: Ipsos MORI/BIS Public Attitudes to Science 2011
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8. The six segments
Who are they and what are their views?
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9. Confident Engagers are strongly positive about the role of
science in society, and already feel sufficiently engaged
“Yes psychology is a
science. Because of
things like Pavlov‟s
experiments, you can
show how things work
by methods.”
PAS 2011 participant
Tend to be affluent
(ABC1s), have a higher
education and aged 35-44
• Were enthusiastic about science at school
• Relatively close proximity to science in their lives,
either through work, or friends and family
• Often go to all sorts of museums, galleries and
festivals More likely to read
broadsheets, use
• Sceptical about health and science claims made in social media and
adverts and in the media read science blogs
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10. Distrustful Engagers think science benefits society, but are less
trusting of scientists and less confident of regulation
“Unfortunately, there are so many
things which come up in media
where things have been handled
wrongly. I think the NHS is in a bit
of a mess, so I would not fully trust
that everything would be used in
the correct way.”
Tend to be men, generally
without children, affluent HTA stakeholder evaluation (2007)
(ABC1s), with a higher
education, and aged 55+
• More cynical about the intentions of private
companies and government, and think the
public should have more say
• Tend to think of scientists as introverts,
working behind closed doors
Tend to read right-leaning
• Often sports fans, more likely to attend live newspapers, but also more likely
sports events to read science magazines
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11. Late Adopters did not enjoy science at school, but now take a
strong interest, based on environmental and ethical concerns
“Carbon Dioxide Removal
options are natural processes,
so less likely to have unintended
consequences on ecosystems.”
Tend to be women, often Experiment Earth (2010)
parents generally young,
aged 16-34, many with an arts
or humanities background
• Take a broad view of what constitutes
science (e.g. CSI as a science-based show)
• Engage with news stories and activities that
relate back to their environmental and
ethical concerns (e.g. going to the zoo)
• Would like to hear more scientists discuss the More likely to download or stream
social and ethical implications of their work programmes or video clips, and to
visit social networking websites
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12. The Concerned distinguish themselves through a more religious
or spiritual outlook on life, which informs their views on science
“It shouldn‟t be done because
once you start you can‟t stop or
control it. The consequences
would leak out somewhere.”
More likely to be women, Public dialogue into Animals
from younger age groups Containing Human Materials
aged 16-34, less affluent (2010)
(C2DEs) and from ethnic
minority backgrounds
• Often less convinced about established
science (e.g. on climate change or vaccination)
• Not sure what the economic benefits of
science are
• Think religion and faith should play a stronger More likely to read
role in society than they currently do tabloids, and less
likely to read any
• Tend to have faith that the government is Sunday newspaper
generally doing the right thing
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13. The Indifferent do not feel informed about science, but are not
especially interested or concerned either
“You always hear these things
without always knowing what they
are. It‟s „medical‟, but that‟s about
as far as I‟ve actually thought about
it. It‟s like „cells‟, you often read
things without fully understanding
what it is anyway.”
Tend to be older people HTA stakeholder evaluation (2007)
and retired, often less
affluent (C2DEs)
• Generally tend not to be interested in new
challenges or learning new skills
• Generally don‟t go to museums or
galleries
• Are put off by technical terms and jargon Least likely to have internet
access, so television and
• Don‟t think there is much they can change newspapers are important,
with the way things are run especially tabloids
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14. Disengaged Sceptics were put off science at school, and today
they find it overwhelming
“It‟s no use talking to us about
CO2 emissions and expecting
us to change our behaviour
instantly. A tonne of carbon,
what does that even look like! I
want to know what‟s going to
More likely to be happen around here.”
women, less affluent
(C2DEs), and with no The Big Energy Shift (2009)
formal qualifications
• Think things like science and the economy are too
complex for them to understand
• Take a conservative attitude towards science
and health regulation
• Don’t want personal involvement, but want to More likely to read
know the Government is listening to the public tabloids, and less
• But will engage with news stories if there is a non- likely to have
science narrative that interests them internet access
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15. So do these groups of people really exist?
This short video was taken
with members of the general
public who attended our PAS
discussion groups in London
in February 2011
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16. Over to you!
In groups, taking the segment we
give you:
1. What in life really matters to this
segment?
2. How can you use the things that
matter to engage them with
your research?
3. How would you most effectively
use media channels, messages,
events, activities?
Prepare to present back your top
three insights to the room
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