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Believers and disbelievers in evolution.

¹Professor of Public Affairs, 400 Eggers Hall, Maxwell School, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, USA. amazur@syr.edu.

Politics and the Life Sciences : the Journal of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences

|July 25, 2006

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Christian religiosity and lower education levels strongly correlate with disbelief in human evolution in the US. Political conservatism also independently predicts disbelief, challenging evolutionary science.

Area of Science:

Sociology
Evolutionary Biology
Psychology of Belief

Background:

US citizens exhibit lower belief in human evolution compared to European and other nations.
Explanations for this disbelief are numerous, yet empirical research remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

To empirically investigate the correlates of disbelief in human evolution in the United States.
To test various theories explaining anti-evolutionary views among Americans.

Main Methods:

Analysis of General Social Surveys (GSSs) data from 1993, 1994, and 2000.
Inclusion of variables on evolution belief, scientific knowledge, socioeconomic status, Christian religiosity, and political affiliation.
Application of bivariate and multivariate statistical tests.

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Main Results:

Christian religiosity emerged as the strongest predictor of disbelief in evolution.
Lower educational attainment was a significant, though weaker, correlate.
Political conservatism independently predicted disbelief, even after controlling for religiosity and education.
Disparities in belief based on race, region, and dogmatism diminished with statistical controls.

Conclusions:

Fundamentalist Christian religiosity is the primary factor associated with disbelief in human evolution.
Educational attainment plays a secondary role in shaping beliefs about evolution.
Political conservatism is an independent predictor of disbelief, separate from religious and educational influences.