Trust in Science and Scientists: Implications for (Higher) Education

In modern societies, one main goal for educated citizens and educators is to pursue scientific literacy. However, given the high complexity of scientific information and the fact that no single person can rely solely on their own knowledge when making science-related decisions, achieving scientific literacy is not straightforward: This chapter focuses on how people cope with these hurdles using epistemic trust as a central cognitive prerequisite. Particularly, to be able to learn and make decisions about everyday life, laypersons (trustors) must depend on the knowledge of others who know better (experts/trustees). Firstly, we describe the concept of epistemic trust, whereby we argue that epistemic trust should be considered as a learning goal for science education. Secondly, we describe trustworthiness cues that could guide laypersons through a decision on whom to trust (source judgments, language style) and which claims to believe (evidence, consensus, replication). Thirdly, we discuss the role of discursive practices (explanation, argumentation) that could enhance laypersons’ understanding of science and insights into their own limits of knowledge. Lastly, based on how epistemic trust can be enhanced through understanding trustworthiness cues and being open to active engagement in discussions about science, we offer implications for fostering epistemic trust in (higher) education.