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An intergroup perspective on evolutionary scepticism.

Carola Leicht¹

¹Kent Business School, University of Kent, United Kingdom.

Current Opinion in Psychology

|June 17, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Evolution acceptance is high across multiple countries. Rejection may stem from social identity processes and perceived conflicts between science and religion, impacting public views on evolution skepticism.

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Area of Science:

Evolutionary biology
Social psychology
Sociology of religion

Background:

Public acceptance of evolution is a complex issue influenced by various factors.
Understanding the relationship between religious identity and evolutionary acceptance is crucial.
Previous research has explored these connections with varying methodologies.

Purpose of the Study:

To review findings from nine large surveys on evolutionary acceptance.
To investigate the relationship between evolutionary acceptance and religious identities.
To explore the role of social cognitive processes in evolution rejection.

Main Methods:

Review of nine representative surveys conducted in the UK, Canada, Australia, US, Argentina, Spain, and Germany between 2017 and 2023.
Analysis of survey data focusing on evolutionary acceptance and religious identities.
Application of social identity theory and social cognitive theories (social-projection, counter-projection) for interpretation.

Main Results:

Evolution acceptance is generally high across surveyed populations.
Evolution rejection may be partly driven by social cognitive processes related to group boundaries.
Perceived conflict between science and religion appears to influence public evolution skepticism.

Conclusions:

High evolution acceptance suggests widespread understanding or indifference.
Social identity dynamics and cognitive biases play a role in evolution skepticism.
Addressing the perceived science-religion conflict is key to understanding public views on evolution.