Making sense of policy choices: understanding the roles of value predispositions, mass media, and cognitive processing in public attitudes toward nanotechnology

Using a nationally representative telephone survey of 1,015 adults in the United States, this study examines how value predispositions, communication variables, and perceptions of risks and benefits are associated with public support for federal funding of nanotechnology. Our findings show that highly religious individuals were less supportive of funding of nanotech than less religious individuals, whereas individuals who held a high deference for scientific authority were more supportive of funding of the emerging technology than those low in deference. Mass media use and elaborative processing of scientific news were positively associated with public support for funding, whereas factual scientific knowledge had no significant association with policy choices. The findings suggest that thinking about and reflecting upon scientific news promote better understanding of the scientific world and may provide a more sophisticated cognitive structure for the public to form opinions about nanotech than factual scientific knowledge. Finally, heuristic cues including trust in scientists and perceived risks and benefits of nanotech were found to be associated with public support for nanotech funding. We conclude with policy implications that will be useful for policymakers and science communication practitioners

Metilfenidato e aprimoramento cognitivo farmacológico: representações sociais de universitários Methylphenidate and pharmacological cognitive enhancement: social representations of university students

O artigo tem por objetivo apresentar o resultado da investigação das representações sociais de 20 estudantes universitários sobre o uso de metilfenidato para aprimorar o desempenho cognitivo em pessoas saudáveis. Nesta pesquisa qualitativa, de cunho exploratório, 20 universitários entre 18 e 25 anos, oriundos de cursos das áreas de saúde e humanas, foram distribuídos em três grupos focais para debater sobre o Aprimoramento Cognitivo Farmacológico. A análise dos dados revelou que entre esses estudantes houve uma maior tolerância aos métodos que alteram a neurobiologia a favor do ideal social de melhoria da performance das pessoas. Contudo, os entrevistados expressaram grande preocupação com a possibilidade de este procedimento vir a intensificar injustiças e desigualdades entre as pessoas, principalmente nas sociedades em que já existem significativas diferenças sociais. Assim, apesar de o tema ser pouco estudado no Brasil, a análise dos dados da presente investigação sugere que o Aprimoramento Cognitivo Farmacológico é um assunto atual e relevante. Não apenas por esta prática estar relacionada à construção e manutenção da subjetividade dos indivíduos em uma sociedade que prioriza a melhoria da performance cognitiva, mas também pelo risco de esta interferir em questões de igualdade e justiça social.<br>The article aims to present the outcome of the investigation of social representations of 20 university students on the use of methylphenidate to improve cognitive performance in healthy people. In this qualitative and exploratory research, 20 university students between 18 and 25 years from health and humanities courses were divided into 3 focus groups to discuss about Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement. Data analysis revealed that these students had greater tolerance to methods that alter neurobiology in favor of the social ideal of improving the performance of people. However, respondents expressed great concern about this procedure intensifying injustices and inequalities between people, especially in societies where there are already significant social differences. Thus, although the subject is little studied in Brazil, the analysis of data from this research suggests that Pharmacological Cognitive Enhancement is an important and relevant topic. Not only because this practice is related to construction and maintenance of individuals' subjectivity in a society that prioritizes the improvement in cognitive performance, but also because of the risk that this practice interferes in matters of social justice and equality