Trust in Science
Psychology: Values & BeliefsReliability: alpha 0.933 sample items
About this scale
A multi-item measure of trust in science as an institution and in scientific findings as a basis for decisions.
Sample item(s)
“Most scientists are honest about the results of their research”
“Science is the best way to discover truth about the world”
“I trust scientific consensus on important issues”
Reliability
Reported internal consistency: alpha 0.93. As a rule of thumb, Cronbach’s α ≥ .70 is considered acceptable, ≥ .80 good, and ≥ .90 excellent for established measures.
Notes
Free for academic use.
Source & citation
Nadelson, L., Jorcyk, C., Yang, D., Smith, M. J., Matson, S., Cornell, K., & Husting, V. (2014): I just don't trust them: The development and validation of an assessment instrument to measure trust in science and scientists. School Science and Mathematics, Vol. 114, No. 2, pp. 76–86.
Source. Scale details are summarised from the publication cited above. Always consult the original source for the full item set, scoring, and permission to use.
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