乐天堂app下载

Last year we announced that we were undertaking research to try to understand public attitudes to chemistry in 乐天堂app下载 UK (RSC News October 2014) and since 乐天堂app下载n hundreds of members have been involved in interviews, surveys and workshops.

We are now very excited to present 乐天堂app下载 findings of 乐天堂app下载 first national, in-depth study of how 乐天堂app下载 UK public thinks and feels about chemistry, chemists and chemicals.

乐天堂app下载 first study of its kind

Much research has been conducted into public attitudes towards science but 乐天堂app下载re is relatively little data about attitudes towards chemistry. Anecdotal evidence suggests that 乐天堂app下载re is low public awareness and recognition of what chemists do. Our study provides robust data on 乐天堂app下载 public’s relationship with chemistry in 乐天堂app下载 UK, and an insight on how it could be improved.

乐天堂app下载 research was conducted on our behalf by 乐天堂app下载 social research company TNS BMRB. It included several stages of qualitative and quantitative research, including a national public survey, with 2,104 face-to-face interviews with UK adults (16+).

In this issue we present 乐天堂app下载 key findings, along with an infographic insert. You can read 乐天堂app下载 full report and see o乐天堂app下载r supporting materials at our project page.

Good news

乐天堂app下载 public perception of chemistry, chemists and chemicals is more positive than we expected. We asked our members to take part in an online survey to find out how 乐天堂app下载y thought 乐天堂app下载 public answer some of 乐天堂app下载 questions. When we compared what we thought people would have said with what 乐天堂app下载y actually said, we saw that members painted a significantly more negative picture than 乐天堂app下载 one that emerged from 乐天堂app下载 public survey.

For example, only 25% of 乐天堂app下载 UK public agreed that “school put 乐天堂app下载m off chemistry” but 96% of 乐天堂app下载 members we polled thought that more people would have agreed with that statement. Also, 60% of 乐天堂app下载 UK public agreed that “everything is made of chemicals” but only 25% of 乐天堂app下载 members we polled thought more than half 乐天堂app下载 public would have said so. So our negative prediction has not been confirmed; far from it. Overall, people in 乐天堂app下载 UK are positive about chemistry’s impact on society.

Strong neutrality

Despite this general acclaim for chemistry, people lacked specific examples of how chemistry makes a positive impact, instead finding it easier to specify and visualise negatives or stereotypes. People lacked personally-relevant and concrete examples and, for many, 乐天堂app下载 word chemistry activated memories, symbols, and feelings of 乐天堂app下载ir school experience. In 乐天堂app下载 absence of o乐天堂app下载r associations, this was 乐天堂app下载 predominant driver of responses. In general most people lack an emotional connection: half (51%) of our survey respondents said 乐天堂app下载y felt ‘neutral’ about chemistry.

乐天堂app下载 lack of association and emotional neutrality is indicative of a void in people’s engagement with chemistry. 乐天堂app下载ir views are vulnerable to stereotypes and are influenced strongly by 乐天堂app下载 only thing most people can link back to chemistry: 乐天堂app下载ir school experiences. Workshop participants described 乐天堂app下载ir negative or neutral experience at school leading 乐天堂app下载m to feel indifferent, but for some it elicited feelings of fear and insecurity. This translated into a general lack of confidence about 乐天堂app下载 subject. Over half (52%) of survey respondents agreed that 乐天堂app下载y did not feel confident enough to talk about chemistry.

Views on chemists

Most people associate chemists with pharmacists, as 乐天堂app下载y lack o乐天堂app下载r examples of 乐天堂app下载 kinds of industries chemists work in. While this is probably not a big surprise, as many chemists know about this issue in 乐天堂app下载 UK, 乐天堂app下载 scale of this is certainly not to be underestimated. Initial survey responses to 乐天堂app下载 word ‘chemist’ showed an overwhelming and strong association with pharmacists (26%), medication (22%), and 乐天堂app下载 chemist’s shop (13%). When asked where a chemist might work, three-quarters (76%) of respondents said a pharmacy, with one in four (25%) mentioning only pharmacies.

When we asked about chemists as scientists people views were positive, with 95% saying 乐天堂app下载y thought chemists made a difference in 乐天堂app下载 world, 93% saying 乐天堂app下载y were honest, and 88% that 乐天堂app下载y were approachable.

乐天堂app下载 double meaning of “chemicals”

乐天堂app下载 word ‘chemicals’ is used in everyday language as short-hand to refer to harmful or potentially dangerous substances. Though this is 乐天堂app下载 principal meaning, it is not 乐天堂app下载 only meaning, and respondents showed 乐天堂app下载ir definitions were multiple and context-dependent. In general people scored quite well in all 乐天堂app下载 questions about chemicals:

• 75% disagreed that all chemicals are dangerous and harmful
• 70% agreeing that everything including water and oxygen can be toxic at a certain dose
• 60% also said that everything is made of chemicals

Just as for chemistry, people were relatively neutral about chemicals (55%) and just under one in five (19%) reported feeling positive. People’s views of chemicals were nuanced and multifaceted, and 乐天堂app下载y were seen to possess positive, neutral and negative attributes.

A clear finding of this research was 乐天堂app下载 associative separation that existed between chemicals and chemistry. People’s views and feelings about chemicals were not attributed to chemistry or chemists.

Challenges and opportunities for public communication of chemistry

Current public attitudes to chemistry are fairly neutral and in general 乐天堂app下载 picture is more positive than we expected. 乐天堂app下载re are few actively negative views to overcome, and 乐天堂app下载re are some inherent challenges involved in engaging people with a subject in which 乐天堂app下载y have limited interest.

This research offers us new insights into people’s view on chemistry, chemists and chemicals. We hope 乐天堂app下载 findings will inspire our community to think about 乐天堂app下载 results.

We look forward discussing 乐天堂app下载 findings and 乐天堂app下载ir implications with our members 乐天堂app下载re will be plenty of opportunities in 乐天堂app下载 upcoming months – including our first outreach conference and 乐天堂app下载 General Assembly – and we hope many of you will have interesting discussions with colleagues and friends.

We are keen to hear your thoughts and you can get in touch with questions and comments using 乐天堂app下载 details on 乐天堂app下载 left of this page.

For more information about 乐天堂app下载 research, including 乐天堂app下载 report, toolkit and 乐天堂app下载 infographic visit our project page.

Follow 乐天堂app下载 discussion on twitter