Group beliefs of scientists and the public

The generation and dissemination of scientific knowledge are closely related to group beliefs among scientists and the public. There are three main types of group beliefs: the summative account, the acceptance account and the commitment account. Applying these theories to the realm of science, which is characterized by its rigorous organizational structures and epistemological standards, reveals the distinctive features of how group beliefs are formed within this domain. This paper argues that an updated version of the commitment account is more applicable in the scientific domain, in which scientists jointly commit to joining this group and also jointly commit to its operational mechanisms and methodologies. The requirement of the commitment account on the group belief of the public also places greater emphasis on the recognition of and joint commitment to the scientific spirit, rather than the mastery of specific propositions by each individual.