MATTHEW H. SLATER
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    • Current and Future Courses >
      • PHIL 100: Belief & Reality
      • PHIL 201: Symbolic Logic
      • PHIL 220: Philosophy of Science
    • Previous Courses >
      • RESC 098: Revolutions in Scientific Understanding
      • PHIL 100: Philosophy in Film
      • PHIL 103: Logic
      • UNIV 200: Climate Change
      • PHIL 222: Analytic Philosophy
      • PHIL 224: Epistemology
      • PHIL 268: Science in the Public Eye
      • PHIL 272: Philosophy of Biology
      • PHIL 311: Socializing Epistemology
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      • Are Species Real?
      • The Nature of Biological Kinds
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      • The Production of Public Understanding of Science
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 The Production of Public Understanding of Science (PoPUS) Project

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
  • "Reporting on Science as an Ongoing Process (or Not)," Matthew H. Slater, Emily R. Scholfield (Bucknell ’22), & J. Conor Moore (Bucknell ’20), forthcoming in Frontiers in Communication — part of the research topic special "issue" on Theoretical and Practical Issues in the Epistemology of Science Journalism.  [ Journal Page — currently uncorrected proof ]
  • "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].​
  • "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
Matthew H. Slater
John Howard Harris Professor and Chair
​Department of Philosophy
Bucknell University
One Dent Drive
Lewisburg, PA 17837


  • Home
  • Teaching
    • Current and Future Courses >
      • PHIL 100: Belief & Reality
      • PHIL 201: Symbolic Logic
      • PHIL 220: Philosophy of Science
    • Previous Courses >
      • RESC 098: Revolutions in Scientific Understanding
      • PHIL 100: Philosophy in Film
      • PHIL 103: Logic
      • UNIV 200: Climate Change
      • PHIL 222: Analytic Philosophy
      • PHIL 224: Epistemology
      • PHIL 268: Science in the Public Eye
      • PHIL 272: Philosophy of Biology
      • PHIL 311: Socializing Epistemology
    • Student Resources >
      • Writing Resources
      • Presentation Advice
      • Recommendations
    • Calendar
  • Research
    • Books >
      • Are Species Real?
      • The Nature of Biological Kinds
    • Published & Forthcoming
    • Current Projects >
      • The Production of Public Understanding of Science
  • Personal
  • Photography
  • Blog