We are currently pursuing a number of distinct, specific lines of research connected with the way in which the general public's epistemic orientation to science — many of them focused on the public perceptions of anthropogenic climate change as a central case study. Some of our work in progress may be found below.
Publications
- "Open Questions in Scientific Consensus Messaging Research," Asheley Landrum & Matthew H. Slater (2020) Environmental Communication [ Journal Page | preprint ]
- "Understanding and Trusting Science," Matthew H. Slater, Joanna Huxster, Julia E. Bresticker (Bucknell ’17) (2019) Journal for the General Philosophy of Science [Journal Page | PDF]
- "Denialism as Applied Skepticism," Matthew H. Slater, Joanna Huxster, Julia E. Bresticker (Bucknell ’17) Victor LoPiccolo (Bucknell ’18) (2018) Erkenntnis. [Journal Page | PDF]
- "Attempts to Prime Intellectual Virtues for Understanding of Science: Failures to Inspire Intellectual Effort," Joanna Huxster, Melissa Hopkins (Bucknell ’16), Julia E. Bresticker (Bucknell ’17), Matthew H. Slater, & Jason Leddington, (2017) Philosophical Psychology [ Journal Page | Penultimate Draft ]
- "Understanding ‘Understanding’ in Public Understanding of Science,” Joanna Huxster, Matthew H. Slater, Jason Leddington, and six Bucknell Undergraduates (2017) Public Understanding of Science. [ Journal Page | Penultimate Draft ]
• NPR Coverage
Papers In Progress & Under Review
- "Consensus Messages about Mask Efficacy Do Not Increase COVID-19 Risk Perceptions or Policy Support (But an Infographic Does!)" Joanna Huxster, Matthew H. Slater, and Asheley Landrum [under review].
- "Reporting on Science as an Ongoing Process (or Not)," Matthew H. Slater, Emily Scholfield (Bucknell ’22), & Conor Moore (Bucknell ’20) [under review; PDF]
- "Understanding the Scientific Enterprise: Development and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Grasp of the Social Structure of Science," Joanna Huxster, Matthew H. Slater, and Asheley Landrum [SSRI working paper]
- "Public Conceptions of Scientific Consensus," Matthew H. Slater, Joanna Huxster, Emily Scholfield (Bucknell ’22).
- "Trusting the Scientific Community: The Development and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Trust in Science," Matthew H. Slater & Joanna Huxster [PDF]
- "Resilient Understanding: The Value of Seeing for Oneself,” Matthew H. Slater & Jason Leddington [PDF]
- "Epistemic Weismannism: Producing versus Transferring Understanding," Matthew H. Slater