Physics

Sociology

Pedagogy

Social science

Science education

Science communication

Machine learning

Political science

Psychology

Power (physics)

Individualism

Public relations

Computer science

Social media

Quantum mechanics

Multilevel model

Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory

Social psychology

Collectivism

Public Understanding of Science

The growing importance of social media for getting science news has raised questions about whether these online platforms foster or hinder public trust in science. Employing multilevel modeling, this study leverages a 20-country survey to examine the relationship between social media news use and trust in science. Results show a positive relationship between these variables across countries. Moreover, the between-country variation in this relationship is related to two cultural characteristics of a country, individualism/collectivism and power distance.

Fostering public trust in science: The role of social media